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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26782531">Famously In Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckyismymainman/pseuds/buckyismymainman'>buckyismymainman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drinking, Drunk Driving, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Sexual Abuse, Romance, Slow Burn, Youtuber AU, mentions of abuse, multiple POVs, murder mention</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:20:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>61,009</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26782531</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckyismymainman/pseuds/buckyismymainman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Feyre, Elain, and Nesta Acheron are popular YouTubers with their channel Sisters Three.  One day they received requests for them to react to three brothers that have reacted to their own videos and it throws them into a whirlwind of new friendships and possibly a new romance.  Will old flames come back to haunt them and how will people react to their new relationships with each other?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elain Archeron/Azriel, Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Nesta Archeron/Cassian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>410</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. One ~ Feyre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was Friday which meant that Feyre needed to finish editing her video if she had any hopes of getting it up by twelve.  Today she was just painting a commission that she had received and talking about life in general.  It was a more chill video for her YouTube channel that she shared with her two other sisters.</p><p>Sisters Three had grown in popularity over the past several years with people flocking to watch Nesta, Elain, and Feyre talk about their lives and watch them do the things they loved to do the most.  Feyre always uploaded on Fridays while Nesta uploaded on Tuesdays and Elain on Wednesdays, and then they would release vlogs on Sundays.</p><p>A knock on the door alerted Feyre to one of her sisters wanting entrance into her room.  “Come in,” she called over her shoulder as she turned back to continue working on the video.</p><p>Elain crept in and took a seat in the extra chair that Feyre had in her office.  Sometimes Elain would come and sit with her sister when she had nothing else to do or wanted to spend time with her family.  “How’s the editing coming along?”</p><p>The three of them at the start of their YouTube experience had been horrible at editing their videos, but along the way, they had managed to pick up some hacks and tricks.  “Good, I’ve got a couple more things to do, and then it’ll be ready to upload.  I think this is my longest video yet.”  And it was at almost two and a half hours long.  “I’m starting to think that I should have live-streamed the entire thing.” </p><p>Elain smiled, “I think you should.  That way you can answer any art questions in real-time as you're working.”  She pulled her long hair up into a messy bun and rested her head on Feyre’s shoulder.  “I always enjoy doing live streams in the garden.”</p><p>Elain’s episode centered more around garden and DIY projects for around the home.  Nesta liked to talk about books and on occasion movies and TV shows she had been into.  They had a little something for everyone that came to their channel.  They genuinely enjoyed doing it as well.</p><p>The door to Feyre’s office flung open and revealed Nesta standing there with a confused look on her face, “Do either one of you know the channel Night Court Gaming?”</p><p>Elain furrowed her brows as she ran through all the channels that she was familiar with.  None of the girls were big on gaming channels as none of them played video games religiously.  Feyre shook her head, “It’s not ringing any bells for me.”</p><p>“Nore me,” Elain conceded once she had finished going through her mental Rolodex of channels.</p><p>Nesta frowned, “Damn I was hoping one of you would know.”</p><p>“Why?”  Feyre questioned.  “Did something happen?”</p><p>“Yeah they reacted to some of our videos and people have been flooding my Twiter, Insta, and our comments,” Nesta informed them.  “That’s why I wanted to know if you knew who they were.”  </p><p>“We should watch the video,” Feyre suggested.  “React to them reacting to us.”</p><p>Nesta wrinkled her nose, “I don’t know if I want to do that.  What if people want us to start doing that kind of thing more often?  Or worse, what if they think they can talk to us afterward?”</p><p>Elain and Feyre shared a knowing look with one another.  “There’s nothing wrong with making more friends, Nesta,” Elain pointed out.  “And they may not reach out to us afterward, they may have just been doing it because like ours their watchers wanted them to check out our content.”  The middle Acheron sister was ever the diplomat when it came to situations like this.</p><p>“Let me finish editing this video and then we can react to theirs,” Feyre said.  “We can post on Sunday.”</p><p>Nesta still seemed less than enthused by this, but conceded and left to let Feyre finish editing her video.</p><p>Twenty minutes later Feyre’s video was up and she and her sisters were sitting in front of a computer with the Night Court Gaming’s reaction video of them pulled up and ready to go.  Elain was the one that did the intro for the video.</p><p>“Hello everyone,” she said in her bright, cheery way.  “Welcome back to the Sisters Three channel and today we’re doing something a little different.  Normally on Sundays, we upload a vlog of our week, but today you’re getting some extra content!”</p><p>“We received a ton of comments,” Feyre chimed in.  “Telling us that a gaming channel by the name Night Court Gaming had reacted to some of our videos.  And we thought it would only be fair to react to them reacting to us in return!”</p><p>“For the record, I was against this, but was clearly outvoted,” Nesta grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest, leaning back in her seat.  Feyre noted that she truly looked less than thrilled to be doing this, but there was also a hint of curiosity on her face.</p><p>“Let’s get started!”  Elain said as she hit play.</p><p>The first thing they noticed were three very attractive men sitting much like they were.  All of them with dark black hair at varying lengths.  The man in the middle with the shortest hair is the one that immediately caught Feyre’s eyes.  He had these beautiful violet eyes that instantly made her want to capture them in a painting.  She wanted to capture his sharp jawline and the way he was currently smirking at one of the other two men.</p><p>“Why are we reacting to this channel?”  One of the ones with longer, almost shoulder-length hair asked.  Feyre later learned that his name was Cassian.  “No offense to these three women but this has nothing to do with what we do on this channel.”</p><p>Azriel, the other one with longish hair, said, “Because our viewers recommended we watch them and I’m pretty sure Rhys is in love with one of them.”</p><p>The three sisters shared a wide-eyed look with each other wondering which one he was referring to.  Rhys scoffed, “I’m not in love with <em>her.  </em>I’m in love with her art.”  Feyre felt her cheeks heating and felt the eyes of her sisters as she sunk down in her seat a little.</p><p>“Well, well, well it seems like Feyre has an admirer,” Nesta said with a smirk.  She was loving this.  “Sure you wanna keep watching it.”</p><p>Feyre only nodded, her eyes trained on the screen, watching Rhys with interest.  So he had seen her videos before.  The video continued with the three men commenting on the different videos and choices each of the sisters made.  Cassian seemed interested in Nesta and his brother’s - as Feyre came to learn - teased him about her being his type.  Azriel seemed quiet, but he said he enjoyed how peaceful Elain’s videos were which made the middle Acheron sister blush and looked down at her hands for a second.</p><p>All three of them sat there for a good thirty seconds after the video ended not quite sure how to end it.  Nesta let out a breath and said, “Well that was--”</p><p>“Interesting,” Feyre finished.</p><p>“Any closing thoughts?”  Elain asked.</p><p>Feyre and Nesta both looked at each other and then back to Elain who was looking equally as lost as her sister.  “They were nice?”  It came out more like a question Feyre thought as the words left her mouth.  “Like they didn’t fun of us for our interests or hobbies which I appreciated.”</p><p>“Yeah and Rhys seemed really interested in your artwork,” Nesta teased.</p><p>Feyre playfully shoved her older sister, “Yeah and you had Cassian hanging off your every word.”</p><p>“What about how Azriel seemed to have heart eyes over Elain,” Nesta pointed out to get the heat off of her.</p><p>“He… he did not!”  Elain spluttered.  </p><p>“Sure Jan,” Feyre and Nesta said together before bursting out laughing and falling on one another.</p><p>Elain merely sighed, “Thanks for watching everyone.  We enjoyed this experience and now I’m going to go hide in my room until my sisters find different material to tease me about.”  The three of them said their goodbyes before Elain shut off the camera and glared at them.  “I despise you two right now.”</p><p>Feyre wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed, “We love you too, Ellie.”</p><p>Elain grumbled a ‘sure’ and left the room.  It was Nesta’s turn to edit the Sunday video anyway and she just wanted to spend some time to herself.  Feyre excused herself to go paint in her studio, the eyes of Rhys still haunting her memory.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>*You have a new follower on Instagram!*</b>
</p><p>Feyre woke up to the notification.  She had fallen asleep on the little couch in her studio and the ding from her phone had stirred her.  Still half asleep she felt around for her phone until she felt it on the little table beside her.  Picking it up she looked to see why her phone had alerted her.</p><p>“New follower?”  She slurred as she opened her notifications.  When she read the username HighLordRhys her eyes shot open and she quickly sat up.</p><p>It was the man she had seen in the video reacting to her and her sister’s videos.  Her breath caught in her throat as she scrolled through his photos each of them with the two men from the video and some with two other women.  There was even a photo of one of her paintings in a room of his house.</p><p>
  <b>*You have a new message from HighLordRhys*</b>
</p><p>Feyre let out a little squeal and raced from the room to go and find her sisters.  Both of them were in the kitchen working on breakfast when Feyre came racing into the room.  “RhysfromthevideotheotherdayfollowedandmessagedmeonInstawhatdoIdo?”  The words came out in a rush and her older sisters gave her a confused look.</p><p>“One I have no idea what you just said,” Nesta pointed her fork at her.  “Two take and deep breath and start over.”</p><p>Feyre did as she was instructed and said slowly, “Rhys from the video the other day followed and messaged me on Insta, what do I do?”</p><p>“Follow him back and see what the hell he wants?”  Nesta said bluntly.  “If that’s what you want to do.  If not block his ass and call it a day.”</p><p>Elain rolled her eyes, “Feyre sweetie come sit down, you’re shaking.”  Elain wrapped her arms around Feyre and then said, “I think you should eat and then decide what you want to do.  It’ll give you a chance to calm down some and stop shaking.”  </p><p>Feyre hadn’t even realized that she had started shaking.  “Okay, okay I’ll do that.”</p><p>Elain passed her the cereal she enjoyed and Nesta got her a bowl.  They tried talking to Feyre about random things like how they needed to go get groceries or how they should go to the beach today and soak up some sun.  Nesta even talked editing the video from yesterday and how it was so awkward to relive.  Feyre’s mind was still on the message from Rhys and how she had seen one of her paintings in his Insta feed.</p><p>
  <b>*You have a new followers GeneralCassian and ShadowsingerAz*</b>
</p><p>Feyre and her sisters’ phones all dinged and they realized that all three of the men had followed them on Instagram.  They shared a bewildered look.  “We haven’t even released the reaction video yet!”  Nesta exclaimed.</p><p>“They must have really liked us if they wanted to stay informed,” Elain commented.</p><p>Feyre however when to her message from Rhys and clicked on it.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>Hi, uh, I’m sorry if this seems weird…</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>But my brothers and I reacted to you and your sisters’ videos a few days ago and we noticed the three of you had been bombarded with mentions because of this.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys:  </b>I just wanted to say sorry if any overzealous fans have bothered your three in any shape or form.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>So yeah that’s all I wanted to say.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>Oh!  And that your artwork is truly beautiful.  You are insanely talented Feyre Acheron.</p><p>Feyre bit her lip, trying to hold back a laugh and a grin.  Her sisters hadn’t noticed her yet or were for once being kind enough not to comment on how giddy she looked at the messages she had received.</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b>Hi!  It’s not weird!  My sisters and I actually recorded a reaction of you all reacting to us.  It comes out tomorrow.  And thank you!  </p><p>It took merely a second for him to see the message as if he had been waiting for her response.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>Oh gods, all right, that’s… only slightly embarrassing.</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b>Trust me, it can’t be any more embarrassing than our reaction.</p><p>A napkin was thrown at Feyre drawing her out of her conversation with Rhys.  She looked up at Nesta who had an arched eyebrow, “So what did lover boy want?”</p><p>Feyre rolled her eyes, “He wanted to apologize for the way their fans bombarded us with messages after their video released.  And he told me that my artwork was beautiful and that he thought I was talented.”</p><p>Elain poked her in the ribs, “You like him.”</p><p>“I barely know him!”</p><p>“I saw the way you were drooling over him in the reaction video,” Nesta said.  “You think he’s hot.”</p><p>“And you didn’t find Cassian just a little bit attractive?”  Feyre fired back.</p><p>“I didn’t,” Nesta sniffed.  “I thought he seemed like every other man I’ve ever met.”</p><p>“Oh come on!”  Feyre said.</p><p>“Well I liked Azriel,” Elain chimed in as a way to de-escalate the incoming argument.  “But can we not argue or worry about this right now?  I want to go to the beach and enjoy the nice weather.  We can talk about the brothers later, for right now I want a sisters’ day.”</p><p>Neither Feyre nor Nesta could deny Elain with what she wanted and quickly went to prepare for their day at the beach.  The entire time Feyre was getting ready she couldn’t help but think of Rhys and what he and his brothers would think of their video as a response to their own.  She also wondered if this was going to be the beginning between them or if it would fizzle out like most of the encounters they had shared before.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Two ~ Rhys</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moment the camera clicked off of their reaction to Sisters Three channel on Youtube Rhys knew that this was going to be a disaster.  Especially since Cassian had said that Rhys was in love with the youngest sister at the very beginning of the video.  Azriel offered to keep that part out, but Rhys had already resigned himself to being embarrassed one way or another.</p><p>The response to the video was almost immediate.  Their YouTube video titled ‘Brothers Three Reacting to Sisters Three’ was climbing with views and the comments were going crazy tagging the sisters to try and get their attention.  Rhys knew that there was no way the three sisters weren’t going to notice it now.</p><p><b>RhysandsWife: </b>I didn’t know I needed this until just now!!!  Did you see the way Cassian got all shy at Nesta’s videos?  ADORABLE!</p><p><b>ShadowsingerLover005: </b>I think this is the most I’ve ever seen Azriel smile.  @SistersThree come get your men.</p><p><b>RandomInternetPerson873: </b>@SistersThree y’all should react to this like immediately</p><p>The comments went on and one like this, some just talking about Rhys and his brothers and how cute they were; some wondering why the hell they had reacted to this channel that had nothing to do with gaming; and others trying their damndest to get the sisters to respond.  </p><p>Rhys could tell them how this had all got started and it was Cassian’s fault.</p><p>Their gaming system was currently being repaired after Cassian had raged over a game and accidentally broke it.  Plus his brothers knew that he watched Feyre’s videos religiously when he wasn’t doing anything better.  They needed content for their weekly update together and Rhy had been outvoted one what they were going to do.</p><p>“Maybe she’ll think you’re cute and send you a DM,” Cassian had grinned slyly.  “Finally get yourself a date after that last disaster.”</p><p>“We don’t speak about that,” Rhys had spat at his brother, wanting to forget his toxic relationship with a slightly older woman.  It hadn’t gone well and it was a part of Rhys’s life that he wanted to put far, <em> far </em>behind him.</p><p>Now it was pushing midnight and Rhys was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling thinking about the Feyre and wondering if she had watched the video yet.  </p><p>She probably had. </p><p>He groaned and buried his face in his pillow for a moment before falling into a fitful sleep.</p><p> </p><p>In the morning when he woke he followed Feyre on Instagram.  He had always lurked on her page but had never dared to follow her.  One reason being some of his more ardent fans.  They had a tendency to go a bit ballistic when he began dating or showed interest in anyone of the opposite gender.  He didn’t want to put that kind of attention on Feyre when all she was doing was trying to live her life and paint.</p><p>Today was different though.  Everyone had seen the video at this point, they would have seen how he reacted to her.  Her voice, her face, her… everything.  There was just something about her that drew him in like no one else ever had.  Not even she who shall not be named.</p><p>No Feyre was different.</p><p>He was surprised when she followed him back almost immediately and answered his message.  She confirmed what he already knew and said that she and her sisters’ reaction to the video would be up the following day.  He gulped wondering if it would be a positive one or if he was going to have fling himself off the side of a cliff because of his embarrassment.</p><p>Cassian and Azriel were on the couch watching the BBC’s <em> Sherlock </em>and stuffing their faces with some sort of sugary cereal when Rhys sauntered in.  “They’ve seen the video, their reaction will be up tomorrow,” he said by way of greeting.</p><p>“And how the hell do you know that?”  Cassian turned to stare at Rhys’s retreating figure.  </p><p>“I messaged Feyre this morning to apologize for the influx of messages they were probably receiving,” Rhys called from the kitchen.  “She told me that they had already filmed a reaction and it would be up tomorrow.”</p><p>He heard footsteps and saw Azriel entering the kitchen with his now empty bowl, “And what possessed you to message her?”</p><p>Out of Rhys’s two brothers, Azriel was the least likely to tease Rhys about certain things.  His teasing was more subtle and understated versus Cassian’s brash and in your face approach.</p><p>He shrugged his shoulders, “I just thought I would apologize for our fans bombarding them with messages to react to our video or asking if they had even seen it.”</p><p>Azriel leaned against the counter, “And this has nothing to do with the enormous crush you have on Feyre does it?”</p><p>Rhys narrowed his eyes at Azriel, “I expected this from Cass, but you Az?  Not everything I do has to have some sort of ulterior motive behind it.”</p><p>“You just wanted to actually talk to her for once instead of staring at her through a computer screen,” Cassian drawled as he came into the kitchen.</p><p>Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose, “I regret the day I ever let the two of you move into my home.”</p><p>There was a chuckle from Azriel and Cassian smacked Rhys upside the head.  “Come on an eat you big baby, we’re going to the beach and I want to make sure to catch some good waves before it becomes too crowded with tourists.”</p><p>Rhys grabbed a banana and a protein bar before heading to his room to grab his things for the beach.  He wasn’t much of a surfer like his brothers were, but he did enjoy swimming and trying to find lost things amongst the sand.  He even enjoyed taking pictures of the times when Cassian or Azriel wiped out.  </p><p>An hour later the three piled into Cassian’s black Jeep Wrangler and sped off toward the beach.  They had the music blasting, some rock band that Cassian was currently obsessed with, the window blowing in through the open windows.  Women looked over and smiled at them, waving as they tried to capture one of the brother’s attentions, but all three of them merely smiled and turned back to whatever it was they had been doing.</p><p>Rhys wasn’t sure why Cassian wasn’t flirting back, Azriel was a bit shier, and Rhys just didn’t really care.  He kept checking his phone hoping to see Feyre messaging him again or working up the courage to say something else to her, but he wasn’t sure what he should say.  Cassian would tell him to just send something back and strike up a conversation about anything, but Rhys didn’t want her to assume that he was trying to slide into her DMs for more than just a simple apology for their overzealous fanbase.</p><p>He had heard about her previous relationship with a fellow YouTuber and how that had quickly spiraled down the drain when she learned he was merely using her for clout.  He didn’t want her to feel as though he was doing the same thing.  He didn’t care if she and her sisters were among some of the more popular creators on the site, he genuinely liked her as a person.</p><p>Then again he didn’t know her outside of her channel and her Instagram and Twitter pages, but she didn’t seem to be anything other than herself on all three sites.  A rarity amongst some of the content creators he had met in the past.</p><p>Cassian and Azriel quickly left Rhys behind when they reached the beach, still relatively quiet and a perfect day for riding waves.  Rhys was a bit slower dragging his stuff out and making sure he didn’t leave anything behind.  As he made his way to a quieter spot on the sand he scanned the people and noticed a woman painting.  He thought nothing of it and continued his journey.</p><p>Thirty minutes later he decided he was going to go in the water and wade around for a bit.  The waves pushed him slightly as he made his way down the beach and collected shells.  He decided some of the better ones he found he would send to his friend Tarquin who had a mild obsession with all things beachy.  </p><p>As he made his way back to his spot on the beach the woman painting caught his eye again.  Recognition sparked in his mind as it dawned on him that that was Feyre, her sisters beside her sunbathing.  She looked lost in her craft as she swirled her paints together to create a brand new color and turned back to her canvas to add the color.</p><p>She must have felt him staring because she looked up and their eyes met.  Both of them froze, Rhys because he had been caught staring and Feyre because she realized who was in front of her.  She quickly put her paint aside, made an excuse to her sisters and made her way toward him.</p><p>“Are you stalking me now?”  There was a teasing smile on her lips and her tone was light, not accusatory.</p><p>“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said a slow smile gracing his features.  He pointed to where Cassian and Azriel were waiting for their next wave in the water.  “My brothers wanted to come surfing and I am here collecting shells for my friend Tarquin.”  He held up the trove of shells he had managed to find.</p><p>Feyre plucked one of the blue, cone-shaped shells that he had found from his hand and studied it.  “They’re beautiful.  I’m sure Tarquin will love these,” she responded with a smile of her own.</p><p>“You can keep that one,” he told her.  “Tarquin has enough of these things as it is, he’s basically hoarding them at this point.”</p><p>Her fingers curled around the shell and she gave him a questioning look, “Are you sure?”</p><p>He nodded his head, “Positive.”</p><p>She held the shell closer to her chest and went to say something when they heard one of her sisters say, “Feyre!  Come on we want to go eat!”</p><p>She looked back to whoever had called for her and then back to Rhys.  She opened her mouth as if to say something and then thought better of it and slowly began backing up.  “It was nice to meet you in person Rhys.  Thank you for the shell.”  She offered him one last smile before hurrying to her sisters and quickly packing up her things.</p><p>As the three sisters quickly retreated up the beach to their car Rhys felt a hand on his shoulder.  He turned to see Cassian and Azriel had come out of the water, their hair still dripping wet.  “Was that who I think it was?”</p><p>“Feyre and her sisters were apparently here as well, yes,” Rhys told them.  “And before you say anything we talked for five minutes and that’s it.  I didn’t even get her phone number.”</p><p>Cassian snickered at the pout on his brother’s face, “You could always message her on Insta and get it.”</p><p>“Don’t you have a wave to catch or something?”  Rhys asked as he slowly made his way back toward their things.</p><p>However, his brothers followed him and still pestered him for details about his short conversation with Feyre.  He conveniently left out the part where he had given her one of the shells intended for Tarquin.  They would never let him hear the end of it if they found out that detail.</p><p> </p><p>The following afternoon the video of the Sisters Three uploaded to YouTube and the internet went wild saying they wanted more interactions between the two channels.  The positive reception surprised Rhys, but he wasn’t opposed to collaborating with Feyre in the future.  Cassian and Azriel watched the video with their eyes glued to the screen and Rhys snorted at this.  </p><p>Who was the one infatuated now?</p><p><b>NestaCouldKickMe: </b>Anyone notice how Nesta couldn’t take her eyes off of Cassian the entire time?</p><p><b>FlowersAreMyFriends: </b>I think Elain and Azriel would make a cute couple!  They’re both so quiet sometimes and I think they would be good together.  What should their ship name be?</p><p><b>NightOwl6984: </b>@FlowersAreMyFriends okay so we’ve all agreed on Elriel for Elain and Azriel.  Nessian for Nesta and Cassian.  And then Feysand for Feyre and Rhys!</p><p>“Wow they came up with those pretty quickly,” Azriel said, a light blush staining his cheeks as he filtered through some of the comments.  Rhys wasn’t the least bit surprised after their video had come out and people had already started their ships and were trying to formulate names.  This video only cemented their ideas and names.</p><p>His phone dinged alerting him to a new message and he looked to see that Feyre had sent him something on Instagram.</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b> Apparently we have a ship name now?</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b>Nesta just asked what the hell a Nessian was and Elain and I nearly died of laughter.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>I do believe dear, sweet Az is feeling a little sheepish at being shipped.  He’s not used to this kind of spotlight on him and his love life.</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b>Ellie is feeling the same way.  Though I’m not sure if she minds the idea of people thinking she and Azriel together.</p><p>Rhys debated asking her what she thought of them being shipped together.  If she would mind people imagining how they would be as a couple, but he held back.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>Maybe the six of us should collaborate on a couple of videos in the future.  Everyone seems to enjoy them and it might be fun to shake things up a bit.  We could teach you and your sisters how to play a game, we could model for your art, help Elain with her garden, and I’m not going to lie I would love to see Nesta try and get Cass to read a book.</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b>I’ll talk to my sisters later and see what they think.  Let’s let the hype cool down some before we collaborate.  I’d rather not let people think we’re trying to capitalize off of the hype right now.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>Sounds like a plan.  I’ll mention it to Cass and Az and then once we know how your sisters feel we can work something out.</p><p>He watched as three little dots appeared on the screen and then disappeared.  They reappeared moments later and Rhys held his breath waiting to see what she would say back to him.</p><p><b>FortheLoveofArt: </b>Even if they don’t want to collaborate do you think… and I’m just thinking out loud here… that we could maybe collaborate?</p><p>A slow smile spread across Rhys’s face and his heart sped up in his chest.</p><p><b>HighLordRhys: </b>I’d like that.</p><p>She sent him a thumbs up back and said she had to go and work on a commission she had received.  Rhys looked up from his phone to see Cassian and Azriel still pouring over the Acheron sisters’ video, both thoroughly entranced by it.  </p><p>He knew right then and there that they would have no problems with a future collaboration with the sisters.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi all!  I'm so happy that you all are enjoying this story!  I'm having so much fun writing it and I'm excited to share more chapters with you.  I'm probably going to try and set up a schedule for Sundays around 7ish EST when I post new chapters.  That way you kinda have an idea when to check back.<br/>Also, there are going to be POVs from the main six characters.  I was originally only going to do the POVs for the sisters, but then I was like I wanna do the guys as well.  The next chapter will be Elain and then Azriel then Nesta and finally Cassian.  I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see y'all next week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Three ~ Elain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sun was warm as Elain worked in the dirt of her garden.  Seemingly overnight weeds had begun springing up and she wanted to get them taken care of as quickly as possible.  She had a camera on her as she worked, her video for Wednesday was going to be a chill one just showing how far her garden had come since spring.  She preferred these types of videos as it was.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t much of a talker like her two sisters.  She didn’t like to rant like Nesta did when she read a book that made her particularly frustrated.  And she certainly couldn’t talk about random things like Feyre could.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No Elain preferred the silence and the meditative properties of being out in her garden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She loved the feel of the dirt against her fingers as she shook it free from the roots of weeds or flowers she was working with.  She loved the way the garden smelled when a gentle breeze picked blew through and it hit her nose.  She looked forward to being in the sun and letting the rays warm her skin.  Yes, these were her favorite days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta was reading in one of the iron chairs, sometimes scoffing at a line or something she didn’t like.  Elain looked over her shoulder to see that her sister was more than halfway through the book she had started hours before.  It was a mind boggling at how quickly Nesta could get through her books.  Feyre and Elain used to say that they wished they had their sister’s super speed reading skills.  It certainly would have made school easier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“El when did Feyre say she was going to be back from the store?”  Nesta lowered her book and glanced at her watch.  It was currently a few minutes past one and Elain was starting to grow hungry after spending most of her time outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She should be back soon, she needed to get some more paint and then promised to pick up pizza on her way home,” Elain informed the oldest Acheron.  “Why do you seem so impatient today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since this morning Nesta had seemed antsy and neither Elain nor Feyre could figure out why.  They weren’t sure what had happened from the time they had said their goodnights to this morning had changed.  Nesta had always been a little more prickly than others, but this morning she seemed a bit more tense than normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta rolled her eyes, “Cassian sent me a message on Insta.  Apparently just because Feyre and Rhysand have started conversations that means he’s allowed to slide into my DMs as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain sat back and arched an eyebrow at her sister, “Maybe he just wants to be friends with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta gave her sister a look, “A man slides into my DMs and all he wants is just to be friends?  Sure Elain.  No, he’s after one thing and one thing only.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta had never really trusted men, and Elain knew one reason was because of her and Feyre’s spectacular failures in the realm of love.  She shuddered at the thought of her past relationship with a man named Graysen and how that had ended.  She hadn’t dated since, wanting to take time for herself and learn to grow from this much like the flowers in her garden grew.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt,” Elain prompted carefully.  “He seemed genuinely interested in your videos when we watched their reactions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta shook her head, “Nope.  We’re not going to have this discussion.  I’m going to read my book and you’re going to finish gardening while we wait for Feyre and the pizza.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain released a sigh, “For someone who is obsessed with romance in novels you sure as hell don’t want to experience it for yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta opened her mouth to retort when Feyre came waltzing through the backdoor with a box of pizza in her arms, “Sorry I’m a little late.  The traffic was crazy.”  She smiled at her sisters and then noticed the tension.  “Something wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Nesta grumbled as she placed a bookmark in her book and quickly stood.  “I’ll go get the plates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre watched Nesta slip back inside and turned to Elain, “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain rolled her eyes, “She’s just pissy because Cassian messaged her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre furrowed her brow, “Was he rude to her?  He seemed to be interested in her in the video.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Elain admitted.  “She didn’t tell me what he wanted, but she’s assuming that he’s only after one thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And he more than likely is,” Nesta said as she put the plates on the table.  “Can we please just drop this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain and Feyre conceded in order to have a nice meal together.  Nesta’s mood seemed to lighten once she began eating, but Elain still noticed the tension in Nesta’s shoulders.  Cassian had really gotten under her skin and she wondered if there was any hope of her sister letting go of her fears of being hurt as she and Feyre had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two days after the Sisters Three reaction was uploaded and Azriel had followed her, Elain got her first interaction with him.  She had posted a photo of a light blue morning glory she had discovered that morning to her Instagram with the captain, “I’ve never seen one this shade of light blue before!”  Twenty minutes after it went up she received the notification.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>ShadowsingerAzriel has liked your photo!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Her breath caught in her throat and she opened up the app and saw that he had also left a comment on the photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>ShadowsingerAzriel: </b>
  <span>It’s very beautiful</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain bit her nail and stared at his comment for far longer than she needed to as she tried to decide if she wanted to say something back.  People were already flooding her comments and mentioning Azriel and his comment.  They had been dying for this interaction for days apparently waiting to see what the two of them would do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some people, Elain decided, were too invested in this nonexistent relationship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was the price of uploading videos to YouTube and putting your life out there on social media.  She had known this would happen at some point, she just hadn’t expected this much of a reaction from her followers.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>FlowerGirlEl: </b>
  <span>My thoughts exactly!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few seconds later he had liked her comment and that was that.  She was only slightly embarrassed to admit she had been hoping he would DM her.  She could have done that herself, but she wasn’t quite ready to be as bold as sending him a DM first.  That was something she saw Feyre or Nesta doing.  Her confident sisters weren’t afraid to put themselves out there quite like she was.  She considered going to Feyre and asking her younger sister for advice, but thought better of it and went on about her day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was later in the evening when Nesta came bursting into Elain’s room, “Come with me to the bookstore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain looked up from her computer startled, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want someone to come to the bookstore with me, and I want it to be you,” Nesta said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feyre’s painting again isn’t she?”  There would only be two reasons Nesta would ask Elain to come to the bookstore with her, one being Feyre was busy and couldn’t go or two she needed the extra arms to carry her books.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta looked guilty, “She’s still working on that commission she received.  It’s almost done but she says she can’t take a break to come with me and I don’t want to go alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”  Elain knew she would be in the bookstore for a good hour and a half if she went.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I just finished this book and I need the second one ASAP.  I’ll buy you the gardening book you’ve been eying for months if you come with me,” she begged her sister.  “I just don’t want to go alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain seeing that her sister was desperate and not going to leave her alone any time soon conceded.  “All right, let me grab my shoes and purse and then we can go.”  Nesta smiled and disappeared to let her sister get herself ready.  When Elain descended the stairs to find Nesta waiting by the door she said, “You also owe me ice cream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deal,” Nesta said before pulling the door open and heading for her car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drive was a quick one, both Elain and Nesta singing along to one of the CDs they hadn’t listened to since they were teenagers in high school.  They laughed as they sang some parts off-key and tried to hold a mini-concert in Nesta’s car.  Elain was a little disappointed when Nesta pulled into the parking lot of their local bookshop and got out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain broke off as soon as they entered, letting Nesta go to the sections that she preferred to peruse while Elain went in search of the gardening and crafts section.  As long as she was here she might as well make the most of what she had.  When she reached the aisle she saw a man standing there looking through a book of succulents.  Peeking out from beneath the sleeves of his black t-shirt were swirls of black ink.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes traveled up to his face and saw that it was Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did a double-take.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Azriel?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Steeling her nerves she stepped over to him, “Azriel, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned, opening his mouth to address whoever had spoken to him and then recognition dawned in his eyes.  “Yes… and you’re Elain,” his voice was low and smooth and Elain repressed the urge to shiver at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, “Yep.”  She gestured to the book he was flipping through, “Do you have a succulent at home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Cassian got me a cactus and I’m trying not to kill it,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.  “I’m not the best when it comes to owning plants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cacti can be easy if you know what you’re doing,” she told him as she motioned for the book and began thumbing through it for the cacti page.  “You want to make sure not to give them too much water, the soil can become waterlogged and then they can rot.”  She showed him the page he needed, “And if you have any questions you could always message me on Instagram.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or we could exchange numbers and I could call you with any plant-based emergencies,” he said, one side of his mouth looking like it wanted to turn up into a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth formed an ‘o’ and she felt the heat crawling up her cheeks, “That would… that would be fine.”  She pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled her number on it before thrusting it toward the hulking man before her.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His fingers brushed hers as he took the paper and they lingered there for a moment.  God was it hot in here?  Elain felt as though she were fire engine red at this point and quickly pulled her hand back and folding her arms across her chest.  Azriel offered a little smile and said, “Thanks, I’ll text you later so you have my number, but right now I need to go.  It’s my turn to get dinner and if I’m not home soon Cassian and Rhys will put me on dish duty for a week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right,” she said with a little giggle.  “Good luck with your cactus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her one last small smile before disappearing around a corner.  She aimlessly stared at the gardening books before her for a few moments before she found the one Nesta told her she would buy for her and tried to move on to the crafts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another hour before Nesta came to find her, arm loaded with books of various genres and thickness.  She paid and the two sisters were heading home.  As Nesta drove Elain felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.  Pulling it out she saw a message from an unknown number and her heart leaped.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Unknown Number: </b>
  <span>Hey Elain, it’s Azriel</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Unknown Number: </b>
  <span>Thanks for your help tonight</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain: </b>
  <span>It was no problem!  I’m happy to help.  Did you manage to make it home before your brothers put you on dish duty?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly changed his contact info so she knew it was him.  She even put a little cactus emoji by his name.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel🌵: </b>
  <span>I did, though I think if I lingered any longer they would have definitely put me on dish duty.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain: </b>
  <span>Well I’m glad that crisis was averted. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel🌵: </b>
  <span>So am I.  Have a good night, Elain.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain: </b>
  <span>You too, Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got out of their messages and turned so that she was staring out the window, her lower lip caught between her lips as she tried to hold back her smile.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Look at me already not keeping my schedule I set for myself lol.  You'll come to realize I am kinda bad with schedules and my writing.  I'm amazed I managed to hold off this long because I nearly posted this three days ago.  (I've got like the first eight chapters written but I don't want to post them all at once that way if I get writer's block you won't have to wait forever for an update.)  Anywho, enjoy!  Azriel's chapter will be next week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Four ~ Azriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Azriel didn’t tell his brothers that he had gotten Elain’s number when he had run into her at the bookstore.  He didn’t want to hear Cassian’s smartass remarks and he didn’t want to endure Rhys’s teasing.  No, he preferred to keep this a secret and use it to his advantage so that he could shock the hell out of his brothers when they inevitably made fun of him for not talking to Elain yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They gave him so much shit for not being a ladies man, but he was more subtle than they were.  He didn’t like to share all his secrets or talk about all of his dates.  Not that he did much dating that was.  It had been two years since his last relationship and it had ended amicably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was his once huge crush on Rhys’s cousin Mor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was until Mor came out as a lesbian and Azriel had conceded and began moving on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking on the blonde she was currently pestering Azriel while she laid on his bed as he edited one of his videos.  “Come on, tell me about her!”  Mor whined as she munched on some Doritos cool ranch chips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said as he added in a cut from when he had to pause the game, but left his camera running.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t pull that crap with me, Azriel Knight,” Mor pointed an accusatory finger at him.  “I saw the video and I saw the way you were watching what’s her name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elain,” he supplied and then cringed when he realized his slip up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah-ha!”  Mor sprung up from the bed and raced over to Azriel.  She was spinning him around in his seat so that he was fully facing her, “Tell me everything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever since they had met and Azriel had fallen in love with Mor they had been close.  He was the first person she had told about being a lesbian.  She was the first person he had told about his abusive past.  They were each other's best friends and of course, when she pressured him enough she would get the truth out of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed, “Fine!  Fine, you win.”  She clapped happily and pulled a seat over to sit beside him.  Her legs crossed on the chair as she stared patiently at her stoic best friend.  “I actually didn’t know who she was until we reacted to those videos and I just thought that she was beautiful.  She seemed so calm and quiet like me and I don’t know I guess I just liked that about her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor was practically bouncing in her seat, “What else?”  She knew that there was more he was keeping from her, and she wasn’t going to leave him alone until she got the truth from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you have something better to do?  Didn’t you say you needed to get your nails done before your date tonight?”  It was futile to try and turn this back around on her because that always failed, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have an appointment in two hours so that gives you plenty of time to tell me what it is that you need to tell me,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel leaned his head against his desk and groaned, “I gave her my number the other night when I ran into her at the bookstore.  I was looking for ways to take care of that damn cactus Cassian got for me and she happened to run into me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, he thought it was a fan coming over to say something to him, but then he had seen Elain and he panicked for a moment.  They had just interacted via comments on her Instagram post and now he was running into her.  He had been grateful for her help and he wasn’t sure where the courage had come from to ask for her number as he had, but it had slipped out before he could overthink things as he normally did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor squealed, “No way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel clamped a hand over her mouth and shushed her, “Quiet!  I don’t want those two knowing about this.  They’ll never stop teasing me when they find out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry,” she apologized.  “I’m so excited for you!  When are you going to ask her out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ask her out?”  Azriel spluttered.  “Why would I do a thing like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor rolled her eyes, “Because it’s what someone does when they’re attracted to someone else.  Duh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel turned back to his computer wanting this conversation to be over.  “Please just drop it.  I have no plans to ask her out yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment where Mor wanted to strangle Azriel, but she resisted the urge to do so.  “Give me one good reason why and I’ll leave this subject alone.”  Azriel kept his mouth clamped shut.  Mor stood and went to gather her things, “One of these days Az you’re going to regret the chances you didn’t take in life.  I know your luck with love hasn’t been the best, but that doesn’t mean you stop trying.  Look at Rhys and where he is now and where he was a little over two years ago.  Just don’t push this one away because you’re afraid of opening up to another person.”  With that final thought, she was gone leaving Azriel staring at the door she had just retreated through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mor’s words were still swirling through Azriel’s head the following morning as he leaned against the kitchen counter and stared out the window.  His cup of coffee was warm in his hands as he brought it to his lips and took a long swig letting the caffeine wake him.  It was Wednesday which meant that Elain would be uploading a video today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had spent the better part of the night before watching her old videos and watching as her garden had changed.  The sisters had started out in a much smaller home with a much smaller garden for Elain to work in.  Though they appeared to be sleeping on top of one another in that tiny home they still seemed happy and Elain hadn’t changed much as the years progressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At one point Azriel thought he had seen an engagement ring in several videos, but it had disappeared after a while and he assumed that it was probably just a piece of jewelry she had enjoyed wearing at one point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys came waltzing into the kitchen his phone in his hand as he read over some text messages.  He was frowning so it was safe to assume that they were not from Feyre.  Azriel knew when it was her because his brother couldn’t stop smiling.  “What is it?”  He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys looked up and said, “The tool is back in town.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel nearly choked on his own spit, “Tamlin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys nodded his head, there had been a long standing rivalry between the two men.  They had known one another back in high school, but Tamlin had let his obsession with fame and power go to his head.  “Yeah he was spotted at LAX this morning it seems as if his grand tour across the globe has come to an end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m sure you can easily avoid him, LA is a big city after all and the two of you don’t even run in the same circles anymore,” Azriel said trying to look on the bright side for Rhys.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brother grunted and wandered out of the room again.  Azriel knew that this would probably eat at him for a while and that he would worry about seeing him.  Maybe the tabloids would bring it up in their articles outlining Tamlin’s return to the City of Angels and how Rhys and he used to be friends.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel just prayed that they didn’t come into contact with one another at all.  He hadn’t been lying when he had said LA was a big city and that they probably wouldn’t run into one another.  Tamlin liked the glitz and glam and thrived off the attention while Rhys preferred the quiet and solitude that being left alone afforded him.  Cassian and Azriel both would try to keep the two apart and save their brother from any torment the other man would throw Rhys’s way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His phone dinged drawing his thoughts away from possible future drama and back into a more present setting of his kitchen.  He smiled when he saw who the message was from. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼: </b>
  <span>Has Rhys mentioned anything to you about collaborating with us in the future?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>A few days ago, did Feyre just mention it?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼: </b>
  <span>Yes, and Nesta is completely against the idea</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel:  </b>
  <span>And you?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of hesitation as he saw her begin typing her message and then stopped and then started once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼: </b>
  <span>I’m not opposed to the idea, but… will you make me play horror games?  I don’t like being scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>Cassian might try to sneak a horror game in on you, but Rhys and I aren’t so cruel. I have a few games that we could play that are more lowkey.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼: </b>
  <span>Could we play Animal Crossing?  I’ve heard that’s a cute game</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel chuckled and shook his head at Elain’s message.  He loved that the one game she would mention would involve gardening.  It was so on brand for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>I’m sure that could be arranged.  Do you have a Nintendo Switch?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼:  </b>
  <span>No… but I can get one!</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>Why don’t you and I go out one day this week and find one for you?  I can help you pick out one and then we can find some games that you may enjoy as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart thudded in his chest as he sent the message off to her, waiting for her to turn down the idea altogether and laugh at his suggestion.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼: </b>
  <span>Oh thank God, I don’t think I could do this alone.  I’ve never really gamed before other than a few apps on my phone.  Nesta and Feyre are both much better at this than I am.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>How does Sunday at one sound?  We could meet at the bookstore from the other night and go from there.  I think there’s a GameStop in that shopping center we could go to first.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌺🌼: </b>
  <span>Sounds perfect.  Thank you, Azriel!</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>You can call me Az, all my friends do</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼: </b>
  <span>All right, Az.  You can call me El or Ellie if you want.  I’ll see you Sunday!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel had just closed out of their messages when he felt someone poke him on the cheek.  He turned to see a grinning Cassian, “So who was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“None of your business,” Azriel grumbled as he went to walk away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have fun on your date with Ellie,” Cassian called out in a singsong voice making Azriel give him the middle finger in return.  By that evening Rhys would have forgotten all about Tamlin in favor of the new development that Cassian had just learned from Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>YOU HAVE A DATE WITH ELAIN?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“CASSIAN!”  Azriel shouted down the stairs and was met with the laughter of a man who Azriel was going to kill later.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>I’m going to kill that busybody later</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>It’s not a date.  We’re going to collaborate in the future and she’s going to be playing games.  I’m helping her find a Nintendo Switch and some games.  Don’t make this a bigger deal than it is.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>Azriel and Elain sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>Must you be so childish?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>You love me anyway </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor:  </b>
  <span>Now if you’ll excuse me Rhys, Cassian, and I have to go place our bets on how long it will take one of you to make a move.  I’m giving you two months, one week, and three days.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>I hate all of you</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>No you don’t, I bet you’re grinning at your phone right now</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door to his room opened and Rhys appeared, “Yep he’s grinning Mor.”  Azriel picked up a pillow and threw it at Rhys just as his brother slammed the door shut to avoid being hit by the projectile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m moving out!”  He threatened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time it was Cassian who opened the door, “No you’re not because we’re the three musketeers and you need us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel rolled his eyes, “Can I have one thing that is private in this house?  One thing that you all won’t bet on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh please,” he heard Mor’s voice come through the speaker of the phone.  “You bet on everything you big baby.  Don’t try to act so innocent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll move in with Amren, she’s much more quiet and neat than you three.  And she knows how to leave me alone,” he threatened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh please, Amren lives in a one bedroom apartment across town and is now living with dear, sweet Varian,” Rhys said.  “She wouldn’t let you move in with her even for all the gems in the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could Azriel forget that Amren had moved in with her long time boyfriend a few weeks ago?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a defeated sigh, “Fine.  Make your bets, but just so you know I’m not going to tell you all a damn thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know,” came Mor’s voice.  “But I’m sure our dear Rhysand can charm details out of Feyre because we all know the sisters are going to talk.  Which by the way, I want to meet them.  I need more friends than you three that live nearby.  Ever since Viviane moved up north I haven’t had girl time in I couldn’t tell you how long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still have Amren,” Cassian said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel could practically see Mor wrinkling her nose, “Good Lord no, Amren and I don’t do girl time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see how this initial interaction goes and get back to you,” Rhys said.  “For now it’s time to say goodbye or I think poor Az is going to follow through on that threat to kill us.  Bye cousin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor got out her goodbye before Rhys hung up on her.  “I’m not telling you three a damn thing about Sunday,” Azriel pointed his finger at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian grinned, “Is that a challenge, brother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it’s me wanting some semblance of privacy,” he deadpanned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we’ll give it to you,” Rhys said and held up a hand when Cassian opened his mouth.  “Just don’t feel like you have to keep everything from us.  I know we tease you about your love life half the time, but if she makes you happy then that’s all we want for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian nodded in agreement, “He’s right.  We’ll leave you alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel knew they meant well and he was grateful that they were going to respect this.  Now he just needed to keep his mind occupied until Sunday so he didn’t overthink this outing with Elain too much.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Someone said Corpse_Husband on YouTube sounds like Azriel and now I can't unhear it and I'm lowkey in love with his voice.<br/>Also, Nesta's chapter will be next!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Five ~ Nesta</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The dinging from her phone was starting to annoy her.  There had been five separate messages in the past ten minutes and she knew who they were all from.</p><p>Cassian.</p><p>Her sisters may have had their interactions with the other two Knight brothers, but she refused to even entertain the idea of Cassian.  She didn’t need a relationship right now thank you very much.  She was perfectly happy with her fictional boyfriends.  Right now she was enjoying a reread of <em> Clockwork Angel </em>and swooning over Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale respectively.</p><p>Her phone dinged again and Nesta gritted her teeth and clutched her book a bit tighter.  Counting to ten she set the book aside and grabbed her phone.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>Hi</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>You know I think you don’t like me very much</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>Our siblings seemed to have made friends with one another so I thought I would reach out to you</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>I will admit that our friendship is off to a very rocky start</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>You’re probably reading something right now</p><p>She saw the dots appear and a new message dinged.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>Ah she graces me with her presence.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Fuck off Cassian</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>I’m a patient man, Nesta Acheron.  Plus I just want to be friends, get some new recommendations for books.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>I didn’t know you could read.  I thought all you were good at was gaming</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>And she’s got jokes ladies, gentlemen, and gentlefolk.  </p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>I will have you know that I can read and I actually love it.  Though my brothers don’t know of my secret past time.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Why ever not?  Afraid it might ruin your bad boy image?</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>;) You got it.  Some of us have a reputation to uphold.  Now come on I know you’ve got to have something for me.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>I’m muting you now.</p><p>And that’s exactly what she did.  She silenced her notifications and turned her phone over so she couldn’t see the screen.  She knew that she was going to have more messages from him later, but she didn’t care.  She wasn’t going to open them and she was going to pretend he didn’t exist.  Maybe she’d block him later just so she could get some peace and quiet.</p><p>Cassian hadn’t given her any reason to distrust him, or at least he hadn’t given her a reason yet.  Nesta had known men like Cassian Knight and he would not be the last one to waltz into her life.  She wasn’t going to comment on her sisters' ever-growing relationships with the other two.  They had been through enough and she knew that her sisters were still looking for that elusive “one”.</p><p>They wanted love and fairytales, but that notion for Nesta had been destroyed a long time ago.  It was safer to fall for men that didn’t exist in real life.  They could never hurt her.</p><p>As she tried to continue reading her mind kept drifting back to Cassian.  She wanted to scream and cry because the asshole had ruined her precious reading time. Placing her book to the side she got up and tried to find something else to do.  She needed to organize her shelves and quickly got her camera set up to record.  She could work out her pent up frustrations that way.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Nesta said immediately after Feyre suggested a future collaboration with Night Court Gaming.  “I don’t care if you all do it, but I am not going to be a part of this.”</p><p>“Come on,” Feyre said, giving her older sister a pleading look.  “Elain and I have already agreed to do it and the viewers really enjoyed our reactions to one another.  Plus Cassian seems really excited to work with you.”</p><p>Nesta began shaking her head, “I don’t care, Feyre.  I’m not going to do the collaboration.  I don’t want to work with Cassian.  He’s been bugging me ever since our video came out and I don’t need a reason for him to bug me in person.”</p><p>Feyre threw up her hands, “Would you at least consider it for more than three seconds.  I know you have your aversion to men, but I’m not asking for you to date him.  Plus you need more friends.”</p><p>“I have enough friends,” Nesta snapped.  “I have you and Elain.”</p><p>“We do not count as friends,” Feyre said.  Elain was sitting off on the sidelines watching her sisters argue with one another.  This was not a rare occurrence between the two but had gotten better as they had gotten older.  “We’re family, don’t you want someone to go to outside of us?  He doesn’t have to be your best friend, but he could be there for you in ways that Elain and I can’t.”</p><p>Nesta didn’t like having to rely on anyone but herself.  She didn’t want to feel weak.  She was the oldest sister for Christ’s sake, she was supposed to be the support system. </p><p>“Nesta,” Elain’s calm voice broke her from her train of thought.  “You don’t always have to be strong.”  Sometimes it scared Nesta how easily Elain could read her mind.  It was almost like she could peer into the darkest recesses of her mind and see what things were hidden there.  “All we’re asking is that you try.  If you don’t like him or don’t want to do it then no one would fault you.”</p><p>“The viewers might,” she pointed out.</p><p>“Don’t worry about them, they’ll get over it.  Plus you can’t force a friendship, if the two of you don’t click then you don’t click,” Feyre said.  “I’m not saying you have to force yourself to be friends with him, all I’m asking is that you try.  Elain and I both have friends outside of this house and I know we make friends more easily than you do, but this could be a good chance.  The two of you already have something in common.”</p><p>Nesta could see the logic in what her sisters were saying, and she knew that neither one of them was trying to force a relationship on her.  They worried about her in the same ways she worried about them.  And she didn’t like to see them worried like this.  Sighing she said, “Fine.  I will give it one chance, and once chance only.”  She pointed a finger at grinning Feyre, “If I don’t like it or I feel like it’s going nowhere then you can’t say shit about me trying again.”</p><p>“Deal,” Feyre threw her arms around Nesta who quickly returned the embrace before Elain joined them for a group hug.</p><p> </p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>If we did a collaboration like my sisters want me to do, then what would we be doing?</p><p>She set her phone down as she nervously began rocking a little in her seat.  She had been staring at her phone for the past twenty minutes trying to pluck up the courage to message Cassian.  She wondered if he would make a smart remark or say he knew that she would message him eventually.  If he did she might actually reach through her phone and strangle him.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>Well Az is going to play Animal Crossing with Elain because she said she didn’t want to play horror, and I have no idea what Rhys has cooked up for Feyre.  I guess it would be up to you to decide what you want to do.</p><p>To say she was shocked at his response would be an understatement.  There was nothing sassy or snide about it.  </p><p>Her curiosity piqued she began to type.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe:  </b>What no smart-ass remark?</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight:  </b>I figured you bite my head off if I did :p</p><p>She actually chuckled at the tongue sticking out emoji, but then quickly schooled her features back into her neutral face.  Or what Feyre called her resting bitch face.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Well you're not wrong….</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Okay, you said you wanted book recommendations.  If we’re going to do this then it’s going to be on my terms.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>I’m all ears</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b> I want you to read <em> A Discovery of Witches </em>by Deborah Harkness.  It’s an adult fantasy novel and I reread it every fall.  We can talk about that on our collaboration.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>Sounds doable.  I'll run out and get that now and once I’m done we can figure out what we’re going to do</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Great</p><p>She set her phone off to the side and stared up at the ceiling.  “That wasn’t so bad,” she said to herself.  “You can do this.”</p><p>Her phone dinged again and she looked at it, she had assumed their conversation would be over.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>Why do you reread it?</p><p>Nesta paused for a moment, no one had ever asked her why she reread it over and over again.  Her sisters just assumed she liked it so much that it was worth the reread.  While that was true it was something deeper about it.  It was comforting to her, to have something to look forward to when fall came.  It was like welcoming a long time friend into her home again after not seeing one another for a long period of time.  She never grew tired of the story.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>No one has ever asked me that….  It’s just my comfort read I guess?  Nothing about it ever changes and it’s still there for me every year.  I recently had to buy a new copy because my original one was beginning to fall apart.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>At least you can say you’re getting your money’s worth out of it</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe:  </b>Don’t you have something like that?  Something you return to constantly because it’s something you can’t quite let go of?</p><p>She wasn’t sure where this conversation was coming from, but maybe Feyre was right.  Maybe having someone outside of her immediate circle was good for her.  She still didn’t trust Cassian fully, but maybe she had been too quick to judge him.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>You have to promise not to laugh</p><p>That got her interested.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Even if I do you’ll never know</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b> ….  I rewatch <em> Lilo &amp; Stitch </em>every time I feel sad and to this day it makes me cry.</p><p>She had to admit that that wasn’t what she was expecting.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe:  </b>May I ask why?</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>I was adopted by Rhys’s mom when I was younger.  I used to live on the streets and she and Rhys saw me one day.  I was trying to get money to feed myself and she just… took me in.  I kinda know how Stitch felt, looking for a family that was his own.  When she showed me that movie as a kid it really spoke to me.  So whenever I’m feeling lost, lonely, or sad I pop it in and watch it because I remember the kindness that she showed me.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe:  </b>That’s…. That’s a really moving story Cassian.</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight:  </b>See there’s more to me than the cocky facade most people see in my videos.</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe:  </b>I guess there is</p><p><b>GeneralCassianKnight:  </b>I need to go, I’ll get the book and read it.  Ttyl</p><p><b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>Goodbye Cassian</p><p>Nesta wandered out of her room, still feeling a little weird after her conversation with Cassian.  She hadn’t been ready for him to open up that much to her.  She was happy to see there was more to him than the flirt that had been in the video.  She wasn’t going to tell Feyre that she was possibly right about Nesta giving Cassian a chance.  She wouldn’t hear the end of it if she admitted her youngest sister was right.</p><p>She wasn’t even going to tell Elain because she would probably gloat as well.  Not to the extreme that Feyre would, but she would still find ways to make a show of her being right.  For now, her sisters didn’t need to know anything.</p><p>“Hey,” Feyre popped around the corner, nearly running into Nesta.  “Elain was just about to make a run to get Chinese, do you want any?”</p><p>Still sort of lost in her daze she told Feyre her order and then wandered into Elain’s garden hoping that the air would help clear her jumbled thoughts and feelings over one Cassian Knight.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Six ~ Cassian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was rare that Cassian found himself in an actual bookstore.  He mostly just bought ebooks, they didn’t clutter up his room and he could keep his reading habits from his brothers.  It wasn’t the reading that he was trying to keep a secret, it was the material he consumed that he didn’t want them knowing about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Cassian enjoyed fantasy, sci-fi, and the occasional dystopian novel he mainly read slice of life and romance novels.  Much like Nesta did.  Cassian was a romantic at heart who was still looking for his so-called soulmate.  He wanted someone he could come home to and curl up on the couch with and either read or watch movies.  He wanted someone to go out to dinner with and take strolls through the parks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure in his younger days he slept around and didn’t care much for settling down, but as the years passed he wanted something a bit more steady than the hook-up lifestyle offered him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now he was being led back to the section of Velaris Books where </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Discovery of Witches </span>
  </em>
  <span>could be found.  The older woman smiled at him, “I’m not going to lie, we don’t get a lot of strapping young men like you in here looking for books like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled, “A friend recommended the book to me and I told them I would try it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They must be one hell of a person,” the woman chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you--”  Cassian trailed off, giving the woman a curious look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman gave him a kind smile, “I’ve been around the block a few times, young man.  I know when someone like yourself is trying to impress someone they’re attracted to.  What’s their name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nesta,” Cassian said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older woman’s eyes lit up, “I know Nesta!  She’s a loyal customer here along with her sisters.  Sweet girl, I’ve never seen her with anyone else though.  How did you meet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it was a complete accident,” Cassian told her.  “I’m a YouTuber like Nesta and my brothers and I reacted to her and her sisters’ channel.  One thing led to another and they found us and we’ve been in contact since.  And let me tell you she was reluctant to talk to me at first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older woman patted his arm, “Just take good care of Nesta.  She’s a sweet girl once she lets you in and is fiercely protective of those she loves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will, ma’am,” he promised before she walked off to let him browse in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another thirty minutes before he left the shop with several other books that Nesta had highly rated on her channel.  He kinda wanted to surprise her by reading some of her other favorites.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He strolled down the sidewalk to a little cafe not far from the bookstore.  He ordered his coffee and found a quiet table in the back and pulled his latest purchase from the bag and began to read.  He wasn’t sure what he was expecting from it, but he wanted to know what made Nesta love it so much that she had to reread it on a yearly basis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour later he was already a hundred pages in and he couldn’t put it down.  The mix of magic, intrigue, romance, and history had completely captured him.  No wonder Nesta couldn’t put it down, he didn’t think he would be able to either and he considered going back to the bookstore to get the other books in the series.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A manicured nail appeared at the top of the book and slowly lowered it causing Cassian to look up.  A pretty, blonde woman was standing there with a seductive smile on her face.  “That must be some book, you haven’t been able to take your eyes off of it for the past hour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something familiar about the woman before him, but he couldn’t place where he knew her from.  “Uh yeah, it’s really interesting so far.”  He shifted in his seat not quite comfortable with the attention he was receiving from her.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a seat across from him and said, “What’s it about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh well it’s about this woman named Diana who rejects her witch heritage because she doesn’t want anything to do with magic, and then she finds this manuscript that’s been bewitched, and there’s this vampire named Matthew,” he rattled on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there any kind of romance?”  She leaned a bit closer, her eyes trailing down his arms and body before slowly going back up to his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, no he did not like the attention she was giving him.  He went to open his mouth to tell her that he wasn’t interested when a hand caressed his shoulders and he heard, “Hey babe, sorry I’m late.  My appointment with the realtor ran over.”  He looked up to see Nesta smiling at him and it took him a moment to realize that she was here and she was bailing him out.  She turned to the woman who had been hitting on Cassian, her smile turning strained, “Who’s your </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just leaving,” the blonde woman snapped, her eyes narrowing at Nesta.  She reached into her purse and slipped a card toward him.  “Call me sometime if it doesn’t work out with her,” her eyes glanced between Cassian and Nesta before sauntering out of the shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, I hate that bitch,” Nesta spat once the woman was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian looked at her startled, “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta rolled her eyes, “That was Ianthe, she and Feyre’s ex hooked up while he was still dating Feyre.  She’s just looking for attention.”</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>She shifted and then said, “Well now that you’ve been bailed out I’ll see you later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait!”  Cassian didn’t want her to go yet.  He had missed his chance to talk to her that day on the beach, he wasn’t going to let her go just yet.  “Why’d you help me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta fooled with the strap of her purse, “You looked uncomfortable and I came in to get myself a tea before going to the bookstore, I’m actually working a shift there to help Alis out.  One of her workers called in sick and sometimes I help out in exchange for books.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made sense, and it would explain why Alis had seemed protective of Nesta.  “Well thank you for bailing me out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged, “It was nothing.”  Then she was heading out the door and gone from sight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>
  <span>Thank you again for today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian wasn’t sure if Nesta would get that message.  He wasn’t sure when she logged on to Instagram or if she was even back from the bookshop yet.  He wanted to talk to her again, to tell her that he was enjoying the book, but everything he typed seemed awkward and disjointed. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>
  <span>It was nothing, I just don’t like her after what she did to Feyre and figured I’d save you from her wicked ways.  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>
  <span>I’ve actually heard of her.  She tried to seduce Rhys a few years ago.  It didn’t go over well.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>
  <span>Your brother has a bigger brain than I gave him credit for.  Maybe I should reevaluate my opinion of him</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian smiled at her message.  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>
  <span>Are you going to reevaluate your opinion of me?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>
  <span>The jury is still out on you.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>
  <span>You know you like me</span>
</p><p>
  <b>TalkBookstoMe:  </b>
  <span>Goodbye Cassian.  Get back to reading the book.  I want to get this collaboration over with.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>GeneralCassianKnight: </b>
  <span>All right, all right.  I concede for now, but trust me Nesta Acheron, by the end of this you will like me</span>
</p><p>
  <b>TalkBookstoMe: </b>
  <span>We’ll see</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that she was gone and left Cassian grinning at their conversation.  She hadn’t completely rejected him and this was a start at their tentative friendship.  He had hope yet that Nesta would change her mind about him and actually want to be his friend.  And after their encounter that afternoon he was sure that they were at least halfway to becoming friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He checked some of his messages and notifications across the various social platforms he belonged to and then an idea came to him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Putting </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Discovery of Witches </span>
  </em>
  <span>on his lap he took a picture of it and posted it on Instagram with the caption, “Was recommended a good book by my friend @TalkBookstoMe.  Maybe I should listen to her recommendations more often.”  And then closed out of the app before he could watch the storm of comments and likes flood his photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His photo was going to get the internet talking, but he didn’t care about that.  He only cared about Nesta and seeing if she said anything to him about it.  He also wondered as he found his place in the book if she would find some way to retaliate for the flood of comments she was about to receive as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few hours later Cassian was just wrapping up </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Discovery of Witches </span>
  </em>
  <span>when there was a knock on his door and Rhys poked his head inside.  “I see you got Nesta to agree to collaborate with you.  Let me guess you have to read a book?”  His eyes drifted to the book on Cassian’s lap.  “And don’t tell me you finished it this quick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian cocked his head to the side, “And what would you say if I did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, I’m just shocked is all.  It’s been ages since I’ve seen you reading,” Rhys shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.  Both of their thoughts drifting to the same subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss her too,” Cassian said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys blinked a couple of times, “Well I’m glad she agreed.  I think Feyre had something to do with it.  She said that she and Elain wore her down.  Told her that she needed more friends to rely on.  Don’t fuck this up, brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t planning on it.  And I think we’re off to a good start.  She saved me from Ianthe today,” Cassian admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys’s gaze darkened, “Of course she’s back in town.  I should have known since she’s been following Tamlin like a little lost puppy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s still up to her old ways,” Cassian confirmed.  “Nesta scared her off though.  Apparently, she and Ianthe have a history.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys frowned, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean you don’t know?”  Cassian was shocked that he knew something Rhys didn’t.  “Feyre and Tamlin used to date, he cheated on her with Ianthe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys’s jaw tightened, “Of course he did.  She’s never mentioned him to me.  Then again we’ve only just begun talking and on top of that we’re not even dating.  We’re just… friends?  I guess I can say at this point we’re friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you want to be more than just friends,” Cassian teased.  “I’ve seen the way you watch her videos.  You like her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well no shit, Cass,” Rhys rolled his eyes.  “And you like Nesta.  And Azriel likes Elain.  We’re all just a bunch of idiots crushing on three sisters who may not like us back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I can safely say that Feyre likes you, I hear you two laughing at night.  Just give it time,” Cassian told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did you become so wise?”  Rhys grinned at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever do you mean?  I’ve always been wise,” Cassian chuckled.  “I can’t help it that my genius has been overlooked up until this point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep telling yourself that, Cass,” Rhys said as he began to back out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, it was painfully clear that all three Knight brothers were falling for the Acheron sisters.  The only question was were they going to get their hearts broken in the end or would they come out of this with happy endings?  Cassian wasn’t sure how he would take it if Nesta rejected him, but he prayed to whoever was listening that things ended well for him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for your lovely comments so far!  It makes me happy to know you all are enjoying this!  The next few chapters will slowly have them all starting to get together for their collaborations and things.  And as a warning there is some angst on the way.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Seven ~ Feyre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Keys, phone, wallet, I think I have everything,” Feyre muttered to herself as she checked her pockets and clutch.  She was making a run to the art store to pick up supplies.  She was doing a live stream today and she wanted to make sure she had enough supplies for her latest project.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only difference about today’s live stream from the ones that she normally did was that she was going to have a guest.  And that guest was currently on the phone with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you always say a list of the things you need before you leave the house?”  Rhys drawled in her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said.  “If I don’t then I could forget something and that would be a disaster.  It’s happened before.  The one time I left my driver’s license at home and I got pulled over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys snorted, “What were you doing?  Sixty in a thirty-five?  Run a red light?  Passed someone on a double line?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you think I’m much more of a daredevil than I actually am.  I’m not a character in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fast and Furious </span>
  </em>
  <span>franchise,” she snarked back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and the sound sent a little shiver down her spine.  She and Rhys had been talking on the phone for nearly a week now and he was beginning to get under her skin in all the right ways.  She liked the sound of his voice late at night when he was tired and it was low and raspy, it made her toes curl and heat pool in her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys was quickly becoming her favorite person to talk to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Darling, I think you need to give yourself more credit,” she could practically see the smirk on his face.  Darling was his new favorite nickname for her, she wasn’t exactly sure when he had started using it.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All she remembered was it slipping out one night during their late-night talks and she wanted to hear him call her that a thousand times more in his husky voice.  She would have begged to hear him say it again, but she bit her lip and kept her mouth shut.  If he realized what he had called her, he didn’t let it show.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She huffed and slammed her car door shut, “I’m about to head to the store so I need to go.  I can’t have you distracting me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m a distraction am I?”  She put her forehead against her steering wheel as she tried not to groan.  “Well, I can’t have you distracted while you’re driving.  Safety first and all that good stuff.  Be safe and I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still have the address right?”  She had sent it to him a few days prior when he agreed to model for her, but she was so nervous that she wanted to double-check and make sure he still had it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I still have it, and it’s already programmed into my GPS,” he assured her, his teasing tone disappearing.  “I’ll see you in a bit.”  And then he was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre made it to the store safely and gathered her supplies.  She said hello to the store owner known as Helion.  They chatted for a few moments before Feyre collected her things and made her way home to set up her studio before Rhys arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain was in the kitchen when she arrived, making some snacks.  An assortment of cookies and pastries were decorating the surface of their counter.  “Those smell delicious,” Feyre’s mouth was practically watering at the delicious smell wafting through the house.  “What’s the occasion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I would make something for Rhys and you while you do your live stream,” she admitted.  “I thought it would be rude not to feed him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a snort and the sisters turned to see Nesta leaning against the wall, “I’m pretty sure he won’t care if he eats or not just as long as he’s in Feyre’s presence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre waved off her sister’s comment, “Stop being ridiculous, Nesta.  He’s just here to be the subject for my painting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmhmm, and he’s not here because he wants to spend more time with you,” Nesta turned and began heading up the stairs for her room.  “I’ll be in my room.  Let me know when he leaves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain and Feyre didn’t say anything else, they shrugged off their sister’s comments and went back to their tasks at hand.  Feyre made a beeline for her studio to straighten up and make sure all was well before Rhys’s arrival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the doorbell rang thirty minutes later Feyre rushed to answer it and found Rhys on the steps holding two cups of tea from Feyre’s favorite cafe.  “I come bearing gifts,” he said with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let him in and he looked around her home, Feyre felt nervous to have him in here.  No one but her sisters had ever been inside her studio.  “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain came around the corner and smiled warmly at Rhys, “Hello Rhys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elain, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made some snacks for you all in case you get hungry,” she informed him.  “Feyre sometimes forgets to take breaks when she’s working so I’m leaving it up to you to make sure my sister eats.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure she eats,” Rhys promised.   </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pleased with his response she made her excuses and left the two of them alone.  Feyre made her way to the kitchen and showed Rhys which bowls and plates to take and then led him to her studio.  They got everything set up and Feyre switched on the live stream.  She had set up a reminder that she would be going live and several people were already waiting for it to start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waved at the camera, “Hey everyone.  I’m going to give it a few more minutes and let more people join before I tell you what I’ll be doing today.”  Rhys was currently off camera because they wanted it to be a surprise that he was here.  She could feel him watching her as she slowly finished setting some things up as she waited for more people to join the stream.  When she was happy with the number she began her intro.  “And I have a special guest today,” she motioned for Rhys who popped onto the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello everyone,” he flashed them a smile.  “How are you all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chat was going crazy and Feyre laughed.  “I’m going to be painting Rhys today on the stream, and we’re going to be talking about our collaboration.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More excited chats from her viewers.  “Are you going to paint me like one of your French girls?”  Rhys asked as he headed for the couch she had set up for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre felt her cheeks flush, but she began to laugh, “You’re awful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned at her, pleased with her reaction.  “How do you want me?”  She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.  “An innocent question, I assure you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re enjoying this too much,” she grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I am,” he crossed his right leg over his left knee and draped his arms across the back of the couch.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold that position!”  Feyre said quickly, startling Rhys.  He hadn’t been expecting her to get quite so excited.  She moved closer, slipping into her artist persona.  She reached out as if to touch him and then paused, “May I?”  He nodded his head and she gently turned it toward the window and stepped back.  She studied him for a moment and said, “Perfect.  Hold that position.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved back to her easel and stool and began getting her colors ready.  Most of them were already picked out and set up, but she needed a few more colors to make this work.  “I don’t like this position,” he grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up from her work, startled, “Is it uncomfortable?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s just that I can’t look at you like this,” he said, a slight pout to his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like all the air had been knocked out of Feyre when she heard his words.  She cleared her throat, “Poor Rhysand, it’s only for a little while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the chat the comments were running wild.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Fangirl3000: </b>
  <span>Did he just say that he didn’t like that position because he couldn’t look at her???!!!!</span>
</p><p>
  <b>RhysandsWife: </b>
  <span>HOW IS SHE SO CALM RN???  I WOULDA DIED</span>
</p><p>
  <b>PaintersHands: </b>
  <span>Omg the sexual tension is so thick in here</span>
</p><p>
  <b>FeyresWife: </b>
  <span>Twenty bucks says they’re dating</span>
</p><p>
  <b>RhysandsMyBF: </b>
  <span>@RhysandsWife I KNOW RIGHT!  LIKE DAMN I WOULD HAVE PASSED OUT OR EXPLODED </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre oblivious to the comments in the chat slowly began to trace Rhys onto the canvas.  “So,” she drew the two-letter word out for a second. “When we finally do a video together for your channel, what are you going to make me play?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends, are you going to be like Elain and ask that we not play a horror game?  Or are you up for a few jump scares?”  She glanced at him and saw that he was still in the same position she had left him in, but he was smirking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m up for a challenge,” she said calmly though she knew she would probably be screaming the entire time they played the game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a chuckle from Rhys and she tried to keep her face as blank as possible.  She had to remember that there was a camera on her at the moment and who knows how many people watching them.  “I’ve got two games, one is scarier than the other.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Araya </span>
  </em>
  <span>or </span>
  <em>
    <span>Infernium.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And let me guess, you’re not going to tell me which one is the scary one and which one isn’t as bad,” she said as she switched from pencil to paintbrush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could be an asshole and do that, but I think I’ll give you a heads up.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Araya </span>
  </em>
  <span>is a Thai horror game where you have to get out of a hospital and there are three characters you follow throughout the night.  There are also two possible endings.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Infernium </span>
  </em>
  <span>has been described as </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pac-Man </span>
  </em>
  <span>from hell and is a puzzle horror game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre hummed, “Well that makes my job </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much </span>
  </em>
  <span>easier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that sarcasm I hear, Feyre darling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smile formed on her face, “Maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I should pick for you then,” he said, and when she looked up he was watching her, a faint smirk on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Turn back around!”  She could feel the heat crawling up her cheeks which made his grin grow, but he did as instructed without commenting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was starting to go down and Feyre had gotten most of the work done on her painting.  They had taken a couple of breaks over the few hours he had been posing for her.  Elain had come by to see if they needed anything or she could be of any help.  They even read some of the comments making sure to skip over some of the ones that brought up a relationship or the sexual tension in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre rolled her neck and said, “I think I’m going to call it for the night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys nodded and stood from his position, stretching to work out all the kinks in his neck and back.  Feyre tried not to stare as his shirt rode up some and she saw the hint of muscles and a happy trail.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nope, don’t go there Feyre, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she chided herself as she tidied up her station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys made a move to come closer to the canvas and Feyre shot up, “No!  You can’t see it yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys gave her a puzzled look, “I’m sure it looks wonderful, Feyre.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She chewed on the inside of her cheek, “I know, but I’d rather you wait until it’s finished before I show you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held up his hands, “All right.  I shall respect your wishes and wait until you have the finished product.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre relaxed and turned to her camera, “It’s time for us to say goodbye now.  Thank you for joining the stream and I’ll see you next time!”  Rhys said a quick goodbye to the camera and then it was over, they were alone in her studio.  “Well, uh, thank you for doing this with me today, Rhys.  I had a lot of fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did I,” he murmured as they gravitated closer to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were nearly touching when the door burst open and Nesta appeared, “Feyre, you might want to come see this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre saw the look on her sister’s face, it was one of rage and she looked as if she was going to murder someone.  Her breath hitched and she followed after her sister, vaguely aware of Rhys following them.  They made it to the kitchen where Elain was pacing in front of her laptop.  She looked up when she heard the footsteps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the computer was a headline that said ‘TAMLIN THORN SAYS EX-GIRLFRIEND IS JUST ANOTHER FAME SEEKER’ and below was a picture of her and Tamlin.  She grabbed the back of the chair and felt tears welling up in her eyes.  Elain quickly joined her sister and wrapped her arms around her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But all Feyre could feel was a numbness spreading through her.  Two years and nothing and suddenly he pops back up into her life.  She didn’t even bother to say goodbye to Rhys as she raced up the stairs to the bathroom to hurl her guts up.  She vaguely heard Nesta warn him not to follow, and she was grateful for her oldest sister at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t want him to see her like this.  Didn’t want him to see her at her low point.  Not as she relived her trauma again.  She wasn’t ready for him to see this part of her yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain came into the bathroom and held Feyre’s hair and when she was done throwing up, helped her to bed and promised that everything would be all right in the morning.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fuck Tamlin, am I right?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Eight ~ Rhys</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rhys couldn’t see the look on Feyre’s face as she read the headline, but he knew that it couldn’t be a good one.  After their lovely day together of course this prick would have to sour it.  He watched helplessly as she raced from the room and up the stairs.  Both Feyre’s sisters watching her, none of them quite sure how to handle this situation.  </p><p>When he heard Feyre begin to throw up he moved to go to her, to hold her hair, rub her back, do something, but Nesta stepped in his path, “Don’t.”</p><p>“She needs someone,” he said.</p><p>“I’ll go,” Elain offered, seeing that her older sister and Rhys were going to be having a standoff for a few minutes.  She slipped from the room.</p><p>Nesta glanced at the computer, her eyes darkening as she looked at the article again.  “I always knew he couldn’t let her be happy.”  She looked back at Rhys, “Listen, this isn’t my story to tell.  It’s Feyre’s.  But one thing my sister isn’t is an attention seeker.”</p><p>“I know,” he told Nesta.  “And I know all about Tamlin Thorn.  We used to be friends before he dated Feyre, and it didn’t end on the best of notes.”</p><p>Nesta was quiet for a moment, “I promised myself that I would never let another man hurt Feyre again.  She cares for you and she’s been happier since you stumbled your way into her life.  But I will not have her in pain again, I won’t go through that with her.  So if you plan to hurt her in any way, walk out that door and don’t come back.  Lose her number and tell your brothers to get lost while you're at it.”</p><p>“I have no plans to hurt Feyre, and for right now we’re just friends.  And I don’t like seeing my friends in pain.”  He grabbed a stray piece of paper from their counter and wrote a name and number down on it.  “I don’t know what Tamlin did to Feyre, and if she wants to tell me she can.  But this is my cousin Mor’s number, she has some experience in this field.  If Feyre needs someone to talk to I’ll tell Mor she may be receiving a text or call from Feyre.”  He handed the piece of paper to Nesta.</p><p>She studied it and then him before nodding, “I’ll let her know.”</p><p>Rhys shifted on his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets, “And please tell her I had a wonderful time today, and if she needs to talk or if she just wants some company while she paints she can call me any time.”</p><p>Nesta only nodded again before leading him to the door and showing him out.</p><p>Rhys drove home with the music blasting to try and drown out the thoughts he was having.  He wanted to veer off the interstate and go to Tamlin’s home.  He wanted to pummel the man for once again hurting another woman.  He growled and gripped the steering wheel tighter, forcing himself to stay on the road home.</p><p>When he got there he slammed the front door so hard the photos on the wall rattled.  Cassian and Azriel looked up from the movie they were watching.  “Dude who pissed in your Cheerios?”  Cassian asked, but recoiled a little when Rhys shot him a withering look.</p><p>“Tamlin fucking Thorn that’s who,” Rhys told his brother.  “Feyre and I had a lovely day and just as we were wrapping things up Nesta came in and told Feyre she needed to see something.  Tamlin’s apparently going around saying that Feyre is just looking for attention.”</p><p>“That asshole,” Cassian hissed.  “He’s the attention seeker.  I bet you thirty dollars his whole relationship with Feyre was just to get attention.”</p><p>Azriel, a bit calmer than his brothers, asked, “How is she?”</p><p>“Well when I left she was throwing up and Nesta threatened me and told me that if I was going to hurt her sister then all three of us could lose their numbers,” Rhys informed them.  “Which reminds me that I need to go call Mor.”  He murmured a goodnight and headed for his room whilst dialing his cousin’s number.</p><p>“I caught the live stream,” his cousin said in a sing-song voice.  “You two can’t go five minutes without flirting.  Everyone was talking about the sexual tension - which I totally agree with you could have cut it with a knife.”</p><p>“Mor,” his tone was tired, his anger slowly ebbing away.  “I need a favor.”</p><p>His cousin’s mood instantly shifted, “What’s wrong?”  He launched into what happened after the live stream.  “Of course, I’ll keep an eye out and I’ll be happy to talk to her.”</p><p>“Thank you,” relief surged through him.  “I just… I hated seeing her like that.  And what made it worse was not being able to help.”</p><p>“You know how you and Cass and Az were after what happened to me,” Mor said quietly.  “Nesta is probably feeling the same way.  She seems like the no-nonsense sister.  Just give them time to warm up to the three of you.  Show them that you’re nothing like Tamlin’s ass.”</p><p>“I’m sure we will.  Look I need to go, thanks again and we’ll talk later,” he promised before hanging up and going to take a shower.</p><p> </p><p>A buzzing beside his head woke him up.  Glancing at the clock he noticed it was three AM and wondered who the hell was calling him before he noticed Feyre’s name.  He quickly scrambled to answer the phone.  “Hello?  Feyre?”</p><p>She was quiet for a moment, “Hi.”</p><p>“Hi,” he said back, just happy to hear her voice.  “What’re you doing up?  It’s three AM, darling.”</p><p>Another pause.  “I wanted to hear your voice,” she admitted.</p><p>He chuckled, “Well that’s one way to boost my ego.”  He heard her giggle and it was such a relief he closed his eyes and bit his lip to keep a happy noise from escaping him.  “I am more than happy to serve, Feyre darling.  What do you want me to talk about?”</p><p>“Anything,” she said.</p><p>“All right,” he settled back against his headboard and thought for a moment.  “Did you know that Cass, Az, and I take a trip to a cabin we own in Aspen every Christmas and have a snowball fight while we’re there?”</p><p>“No, I didn’t know that,” he could tell she was trying to muffle her laughing.  “Do tell me why.”</p><p>“Well the cabin belonged to my father and now it’s mine and the boys.  When I was younger my family and I would always go there together as a tradition.  Christmas here just isn’t the same without the snow.  When Az and Cassian finally came into the family we made a tradition out of a snowball fight.  Azriel is currently in the lead with the most wins.”</p><p>“Are women allowed in this sacred tradition or is it just the three of you?”  She asked.</p><p>“I’m sure my brothers and I could make an exception for the lovely Acheron sisters,” he grinned.  He could already picture Feyre amongst the pristine white snow, her nose turning red due to the cold.  He even imagined curling up with her next to the hearth in the family room and sharing hot chocolate together.</p><p>“It’s been a while since I’ve seen snow,” she admitted.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, we used to live in New York and I remember having these beautiful Christmases with snow and ice skating.  We haven’t had that since we moved here,” she said.  “I kinda miss the cold.”</p><p>“I sometimes miss the cold,” he told her.  “Once a year is enough to satisfy my needs.”</p><p>Feyre fell quiet again and then said, “I’m sorry about earlier.”</p><p>“You have <em> nothing </em>to apologize for,” he said, trying to convey through his words how he didn’t think any less of her.</p><p>“Tamlin….  Well, he was my first boyfriend out here.  My sisters and I had just moved, our channel was starting to grow, and I bumped into him at a coffee shop.  I didn’t find out until much later that he was using me to further his own career because he saw my popularity rising and thought he could piggyback on that.”</p><p>“Did Nesta give you my cousin’s number?”  He wanted to make sure Nesta hadn’t thrown it out after he had left.</p><p>“She did,” Feyre confirmed.  “Thank you.  One day I’ll tell you the full story, but for now just… thank you.”</p><p>“Of course,” he said sincerely.  “Nesta didn’t tell me anything and I didn’t ask because I know that’s for you to tell me and when you tell me I’ll be there for you.  Mor said she’ll be on the lookout for your call if you decide that you want to talk to her.  She’s a good listener, sometimes a bit annoying,” he heard Feyre huff a laugh, “but she’s got a heart of gold and cares about the ones she loves.”</p><p>“I promise to think about calling her,” Feyre said.  “But for now I should probably go, it’s late and I know I woke you.”</p><p>“You can wake me up anytime you wish,” Rhys told her.  “I will always take your call.”</p><p>“Goodnight Rhys,” she whispered.</p><p>“Goodnight Feyre,” he whispered back, and then he hit the end call button and tried to go back to sleep.</p><p>
  
</p><p>The doorbell rang and Rhys went to shout to one of his brothers to see who it was when he remembered he was alone.  Saving his video he hurried down to the front door and discovered Mor standing there with a big smile on her face.  She brushed by him before he could say anything.</p><p>“Sure just come on in,” he said sarcastically.</p><p>Sure turned around and smiled at him, knowing that this would be his reaction to her showing up at his house uninvited.  “I came to tell you that you and I are going out and having lunch with Amren.”</p><p>“Ah, so she’s back in town.  When did she and Varian get in?”  He went in search of his wallet knowing that Mor wasn’t about to take no for an answer.</p><p>“A few days ago,” she said casually as Rhy rejoined her in the living room after grabbing his phone and wallet.  “I figured you could use the afternoon out with just us girls.”</p><p>He shook his head, but couldn’t hold back his grin, “You are the most stubborn person I know.”</p><p>“I thought Cassian was the most stubborn?”  They were in her car now and heading to downtown LA to go to whatever trendy cafe or restaurant that Mor had picked out.</p><p>“He’s a close second,” Rhys told her.  “But you are my number one.”</p><p>She chuckled, “Well I’m glad to know that there’s at least something I can beat Cassian in.”  </p><p>The two fell into a comfortable silence as they continued their drive.  Rhys stared out the window and watched the city go by.  He watched the people and wondered what was going on in their lives.  What kind of drama were they dealing with?  Were they influencers like himself or normal people?</p><p>Sometimes he wished he could go back in time and make major changes to his life.  Sometimes he wished he never started his YouTube channel with the boys.  He loved doing it though, he loved interacting with new people and seeing their reactions to the games he played.  If he were being honest he wouldn’t change any of his career for the world.</p><p>Mor parked her car and the two walked the rest of the way to the cafe.  Amren was already there when they arrived, sitting at one of the outdoor tables and sipping on a coffee.  She was watching the traffic move buy, but when she heard her friends approaching she turned away and stood.  </p><p>“Rhysand, what’s this I hear about a new girl in your life?”  Were the first words out of her mouth.</p><p>Rhys looked at his cousin who held up her hands, “It wasn’t me.”</p><p>“No it was that busybody Cassian, he sent me a text.  Told me about Azriel too,” she said she took a seat again.</p><p>“I’m sure he conveniently left out the part where he likes the oldest of the three sisters?”  Rhys said as he picked up the menu to see what the offers were.  “Her name is Nesta and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him.”</p><p>Amren threw back her head and laughed, it was rich and deep.  Rare was it that she laughed like this.  “Finally, someone who matches Cassian.  I can’t wait to see how this unfolds.”</p><p>The three fell into their usual conversations.  Rhys and Mor asking Amren how her trip had been and Amren telling them about this exquisite necklace she had managed to get her hands on.  “Did you steal it right out from another woman’s nose, Amren?”  Mor teased as she sipped on her mimosa.</p><p>Amren’s grin told them all they needed to know, but she told the story anyway.  “Varian and I went to this auction in Paris, and you know how much I adore rubies.  When I saw it I knew I had to have it.  I just made sure my bid was something no one else could match.”</p><p>Amren was a jewel dealer, finding and selling priceless jewels and pieces of jewelry off to those with the same expensive taste as her.  Sometimes though she would keep them for herself.  Though Amren wasn’t always so self-centered, she made sure the money she spent was being used to help others.  She refused to go to auctions where her money wouldn’t go to some sort of charity.  And oftentimes when she traveled she would go to places where her help was needed.</p><p>The gems she won in the process were just an added bonus to her.</p><p>The three spent hours together talking and laughing like old times.  And at the end of their reunion, Amren told Rhys that she wanted to meet the three sisters that had managed to bewitch the Knight boys.</p><p>“Someday Amren, I promise,” he told her.</p><p>She kissed his cheeks, “All right, I need to be off.  Varian and I are going to dinner with his family tonight and I don’t want to be late.  We’ll get together this Friday for our usual family dinner correct?”</p><p>“Yes,” Rhys said.  “We’ll see you then Amren.”</p><p>She waved and was off.  Mor took care of the tab and then drove Rhys home.  It was still quiet when he entered, telling him that neither one of his brothers were home yet.  Glancing down at his phone he decided something.</p><p><b>Rhys: </b>My brothers, Mor, and friend Amren are having dinner this Friday night.  It’s sort of a tradition with us.  Would you and your sisters like to come?</p><p>He didn’t wait to see what her response was, already nervous about having asked her, and headed upstairs to take a shower.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just to let you all know updates are going to slow down in November.  It's National Novel Writing Month and I'll be focusing more on my project for that versus this.  I'll still try to work on this as much as possible, but if I don't meet my goal for word count for my original story then I'll be spending more of my time focusing on that.  But I'll still try to update this at least once a week since I have a lot of chapters already written and ready to go.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Nine ~ Elain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Elain pulled into a parking spot at the GameStop and scanned the area for any sign of Azriel.  She stopped him leaning against the wall of the building scrolling through his phone.  She felt excitement flood through her when she noticed him there.  She had been looking forward to this since they had made the plans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hurried out of her car and practically skipped over to Azriel, “Hi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up and offered her a smile, “Hey, you ready?”  She nodded her head and he held the door open for her.  “Hey Chaol, how’re you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaol looked up from what he was doing and smiled at Azriel, “Az, hey man.  Long time no see.  I’m doing pretty good, and you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As well as one can be,” he responded.  “Hey, do you have any Nintendo Switches available?  My friend Elain was hoping to get one along with some games.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain smiled at Chaol, she felt like she could take flight when she heard him refer to her as his friend.  Chaol turned his gaze to her, “Have you ever had one before?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, “I’m not much of a gamer.  Azriel and I are doing a collaboration and I wanted to play </span>
  <em>
    <span>Animal Crossing.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaol chuckled, “All right, well I have several colors right now.  I’ll let you look at them and I’ll go pick out some games.”  He busied himself and pulled out several boxes with the Nintendo Switches and excused himself to get the games.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain eyed each of them, there was turquoise, pink, yellow, and grey.  She was torn between the turquoise and pink.  She looked up at Azriel unsure of what to do.  “Do any of them have anything special other than different colors?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, they’re all the same except for the colors.  Just pick whichever one you like the best and you’ll be good to go,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked up the pink and nodded her head, she was going to go with this one.  A moment later Chaol came back with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, Disney Classics, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kingdom Hearts III</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  “These should be good games to get you started with.  None of them are scary or anything like that.  You can play some of them with Azriel as well,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great, I’ll take them and this Switch,” she handed over the box she had picked out and let Chaol ring her up.  When he was done helping her she waited while Azriel browsed the games for a moment to see what new releases there were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they were done Azriel walked her back to her car.  He hesitated for a moment as they lingered by the driver’s side door, but then asked, “Would you like to come over?  We can get you set up and play together if you’d like.  Rhys may be home, but Cassian is at a meeting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure!  I’ll follow you,” she said and got into her vehicle.  She followed Azriel to a nice neighborhood and an even nicer house.  There was a single car in the drive and Elain recognized it as Rhys’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel came and opened her door for her and helped her out of her car and led her inside.  “Make yourself at home,” he told her before calling out to Rhys to let him know that Elain was with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys appeared several seconds later and smiled at her, “Good to see you again, Elain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to see you too, Rhys.  You all have a lovely home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah it’s not as nice as yours and your sister’s home, but it’s perfect for us guys,” he chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel returned with his Switch in hand, “I’m going to help Elain set up her Switch and play a few games with her for a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay out of your way, I need to go see Tarquin as it is and give him the shells from the other day.  It was nice seeing you again, Elain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too!”  She called after him as he sauntered out of the room.  She turned back to Azriel, “So what first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the next several hours Elain and Azriel sat side by side on the couch and set up her Switch and played games together.  The two of them laughed as they played </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mario Kart </span>
  </em>
  <span>and tried to bump the other out of the way.  She suspected that he let her win several times, but she didn’t care; she was just happy to be spending time with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All she could think about was how Azriel’s leg was pressed up against hers and how every time his arm brushed against hers it caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the tattoos peeking out from underneath his shirt sleeve and she wanted to ask him about what they were.  She even wondered how far they went and if they extended down his back or his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was a little ashamed to admit that she had imagined what he would look like shirtless.  He had even made a cameo in one of her dreams the night before.  It was sexier than most of her dreams, she could have sworn she felt his lips against her throat when she woke up.  And she wasn’t going to lie, she was disappointed when she woke up alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A door opened and closed and Elain looked up to see Cassian entering the home.  He grinned when he noticed Elain on the couch.  “Az, you didn’t tell me Elain was going to be here.”  He leaned against the back of the couch and said, “Was Rhys here?  I’m hoping he showed you the baby photos of Az.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel whipped his head toward his brother as Elain giggled, “He didn’t get a chance.  He said he had to go see someone named Tarquin.  But why do I have a feeling that you’re going to show them to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh God, please don’t,” Azriel said as he nervously fidgeted with the game console in his hands.  Cassian’s grin only widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back,” and then he dashed off before Azriel could say anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to get him back for this,” Azriel sighed as he shut his game down and put it aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain turned her attention back to him, saw how stiff he looked.  No one liked it when their family pulled out the baby photos, but she wasn’t going to sit here and say she didn’t want to see them.  “If it’ll make you feel any better I’m sure that Feyre would be more than happy to share my baby photos with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned his gaze on her, “I’m sure your photos are not nearly as embarrassing as mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She went to refute him and say that she had some pretty bad ones with her face covered in icing and cake from one of their birthdays.  Or the time her father had taken of her streaking through the yard as her mother tried to catch her.  Before she could though Cassian returned with a photo album.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here we are!”  He said cheerily and stuck his tongue out at Azriel as Elain made a grab for the photo album.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys entered just as she opened the book to the first page, “Cass are you trying to embarrass poor Az.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Cassian said just as Azriel said, “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys chuckled and took a spot behind the Acheron sister leaning down to point at one of the photos.  Elain saw a frowning Azriel covered in what appeared to be pie.  A young Rhysand and Cassian were laughing and pointing at their brother.  “That was one April Fools Day.  Azriel is very good at practical jokes you see,” Rhys began explaining.  “So Cassian and I called a truce and we decided to get him back.  We pooled our allowance and bought two pies.  He never saw them coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got them back,” Azriel said in a stage whisper as he leaned in closer to Elain.  “Let’s just say they found that the sugar had been turned into salt when they went to put it on their grapefruit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, Azriel giving her one of his rare grins.  They continued to flip through the book and Elain stopped them when they came to a photo with all three boys, an unfamiliar woman, and a little girl.  “Who are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them grew somber, “That is Adeena, my mother.”  Rhys’s voice was raw.  “And the little girl is my sister Farren.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adeena and Farren were killed in a car accident a few years ago,” Cassian clarified as Rhys stepped out of the room to compose himself.  Even Cassian seemed to be struggling to hold himself together.  “Rhys was supposed to come pick them up, but he was going to be late and Adeena said she would just drive them up to come see him.  A drunk driver hit them and killed them instantly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain’s heart broke, she could see how much these two women meant to the brother’s.  She looked at Azriel and saw that his eyes were locked on the photo, tears in his eyes.  As one fell down his cheek she reached up and wiped it away.  His gaze landed on her then and they stared at one another for what felt like an eternity.  Cassian had gotten up to go check on Rhys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rhys blames himself,” Azriel said quietly.  “To be honest we all do.  Anyone of us could have gone to get them, but we didn’t.  It’s been nearly three years, but it’s still as fresh as the day it happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain laid one of her hands on one of his scared ones and he looked down at it, his eyes widening a fraction.  “I don’t think either one of them would have blamed any of you,” she said carefully.  “You couldn’t have known something was going to happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but parts of us still think that something could have been done.”  He closed the photo album slowly.  “I hope you had fun today,” she knew he wanted to get off this subject and she wasn’t going to push him any further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, she offered him what she hoped was a cheery smile, “I did.  Thank you for helping me with this.  And next time we can record ourselves for the channel.  And I’ll help you with your cactus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh ho, she knows about the Cactus?”  Cassian had rejoined them, he seemed to have pulled himself back together, but as Rhys trailed behind him she noticed that his smile seemed a bit forced.  “Did Azzy go to you for help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found him in the gardening section of the bookstore the other night,” Elain told him.  “I told him if he needed help then he could contact me any time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well let’s hope cactus number six makes it this time,” Rhys said.  “I’m tired of Cassian buying cacti for Az and then them dying a week later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six?”  She asked Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed, “I don’t have a green thumb like you.  I struggle to keep my plants alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I can’t sit by and let another one die,” she announced.  “I’m going to personally see to it that this cactus lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck,” Cassian chuckled.  “I don’t even think you could save his cactus from his touch of death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense,” Elain shook her head.  “Azriel seems like a very gentle person, he just doesn’t know what he’s doing.  And that’s what our collaboration on my channel will be.  I’ll teach you how to properly care for your plants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a lost cause,” he warned her.  “I doubt that I’ll ever be able to keep a plant alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make you a bet,” she said.  “If you can keep a plant alive for a month we get to make these two,” she hooked her thumb toward his brothers, “do something extremely embarrassing on camera.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey now!”  Cassian complained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel was grinning again, “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Elain said, her chest feeling light at the way Azriel was looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if I lose?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we get to make </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>do something embarrassing on camera,” Rhys said.  “Both of you.  I’m not going to agree to this any other way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right,” Elain shrugged.  She had enough faith in Azriel and herself to know they weren’t going to fail.  “But you can’t tamper with the plant in any way.  If you do then it’s an instant disqualification and you have to do whatever embarrassing thing Az and I cook up for the two of you.  Deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deal,” both me said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They asked Elain if she wanted to stay for dinner, but she told them she needed to get home since it was growing darker outside.  She thanked Azriel once again for the wonderful day and was out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she returned home she realized Azriel had sent her a text.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel🌵:  </b>
  <span>Did you make it home safely?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain: </b>
  <span>Yep!  Just walked through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel🌵:  </b>
  <span>I’m glad.  Do you want to meet tomorrow to do/start our respective collaborations?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain: </b>
  <span>We can!  Why don’t you come over to my house?  I have my garden and greenhouse here and I have a feeling you’d rather not have me around your brothers right now</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel🌵:</b>
  <span>  You would be correct.  How does 10 sound?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain: </b>
  <span>Sounds perfect, I’ll see you then</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain went in search of her sisters, she couldn’t wait to tell them everything that had happened today and about her day with Azriel tomorrow.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey all!  So this will probably be the last chapter for this week.  Sunday is my birthday and also the start of National Novel Writing Month.  I'll post once a week after this on Sundays though so this is still going to be updated just not as often.   Thank you all for your support and lovely comments, they mean a lot to me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Ten ~ Azriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Azriel’s cactus was sitting beside him in the car seat.  It was fifteen to ten and he was getting closer to Elain’s house.  Cassian had been more than happy that morning to poke fun at him for going to the bookstore and looking for information on how to keep his cactus alive.  He found all sorts of amusement from the fact that Azriel was the grim reaper of plants.  It was probably the only reason why he still bought plants for Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry little buddy,” Azriel murmured.  “I’m going to make sure you don’t die like all your predecessors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cactus did not respond and he hadn’t expected it to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind drifted to the bet and he wondered what his brothers would make him and Elain do if the cactus died.  He didn’t want her to have to do anything that would go down in internet history as one of the most embarrassing moments to happen.  Knowing his brothers they were going to be absolutely merciless with their practical joke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Acheron house came into view and he saw Nesta on the front porch reading a book while Elain was in the front flower beds.  Both sisters looked up when they heard his car pull into their drive.  Elain was smiling, but Nesta… well Rhys did say the eldest wasn’t the easiest when first meeting her.  Plus Azriel had dealt with scarier women in the past.  Nesta Acheron was low on his scary meter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed his cactus and exited his car, Elain had already stood and was dusting her hands off on her overalls.  “You made it!”  Cheerful as ever, and it made Azriel feel warm inside knowing that she was just as excited to see him today as she had been yesterday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey El,” he stood on their sidewalk a bit awkwardly.  “I brought the cactus,” he cringed inwardly at the words as they came out a bit stiff.  Why was he so nervous around her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gingerly took the cactus from him and beamed at it, “Well it looks healthy, and I don’t see any signs of rot.”  She looked up from the cactus, “Does it have a name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her a curious look, “A name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elain likes to name her plants sometimes,” Nesta chimed in.  “She says it’s good to talk to the plants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was a scientific study on this!”  She turned to her sister, her brow furrowing.  “The Royal Horticultural Society says that if you talk to your plants then it will help them grow faster and that they respond better to female voices.”  She turned back to Azriel, “But that doesn’t mean they don’t like hearing your deep voice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled, “It’s fine El, most people like listening to me for my voice.  I think that’s the only reason why I’m so popular.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She frowned as if she didn’t like that he was talking badly about himself.  “Don’t sell yourself so short, Az.”  She began heading inside, “I’m going to go take this little guy to the greenhouse and start checking it over.  We can think of a name later once I’m sure it’s not going to die any time soon.”  She began heading off talking calmly to the cactus.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta spoke once her sister disappeared inside, “You don’t find this weird do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys had also warned him that the eldest might test him.  He crossed his arms over his chest, “Why would I find it weird?  Elain loves plants and if it makes her happy and it doesn’t hurt anyone else I don’t see a problem with it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta slowly gave him the once over, “Go before she comes searching for you and I get the fifth degree for interrogating you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Nesta’s blessing he headed through the house, said hello to Feyre, and then met Elain in the back.  She was in the greenhouse as she had said and when Azriel entered it was like a whole other world.  Ferns and various green plants hung from the ceiling beams, and there were various sized flowers and plants lining the shelves all throughout the space.  Azriel felt as though he was in a jungle and wouldn’t have been surprised to see a parrot perched on one of the beams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain was flipping through a book and checking out facts on his particular cactus.  She glanced up at Azriel and said, “So far so good.  I think everything is okay with your little cactus.”  She pointed to a camera in the corner trained on them.  “I’ve already started recording and told everyone you’d be joining.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel waved a little awkwardly at her camera, “Hello.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain giggled and Azriel relished in the sweet sound.  “I also texted Feyre and told her to paint a pot for your cactus.  We’re going to transplant it so that it has more room.”  She pointed to a section in the book, “It says that when you can see the roots from the drainage holes that it should be moved.  And I can see the roots.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lifted the pot and showed him, “How are we going to do this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When Feyre finishes with the pot I can show you how to best plant it in a new pot.  But for now, I’m going to get your feet wet with these!”  She showed him six, small sword ferns in those black, plastic containers.  “I’m doing a series on how to properly take care of these bad boys and you are going to help me plant them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay,” Azriel began to feel a little nervous, but Elain’s calming presence made this a bit easier.  He was used to killing people off in games and making sure that he and his brothers were the only three left standing.  Taking care of plants was a whole new game to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he should think of this as a game.  He’s learning new skills in order to advance in life.  The more good he does and the longer they’re left alive the closer he is to winning.  He could do this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain went into teaching mode as she began explaining to Azriel how to safely remove the ferns from the plastic cartons.  Azriel watched with rapt attention making sure his much larger hands didn’t tear at the ferns.  He felt himself blushing when she praised him for his first successful attempt at removing the fern from the container.  He watched Elain talk, how her brow furrowed slightly due to concentration and how she bit her lower lip when she went to remove another fern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt his pulse race and when he gulped his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.  He prayed to whatever gods were listening that none of this was being picked up by the camera.  He could already imagine the comments and how the fans would say, “Elriel is real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Az?”  Elain was now focused on him and she looked concerned.  “Are you all right?  You look a little flushed.  I know it’s kinda humid in here so if you need to take a break that's totally okay.”  Her innocence on where his thoughts had taken him made him want to smack himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cleared his throat, “I’m fine… just a little worried I’m going to damage one of the plants is all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh don’t worry you’re doing beautifully,” she patted his arm and he felt gooseflesh form where her hand brushed his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned back to their task at hand and learned how to properly pot the ferns.  It was going to be a long day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few hours later Feyre arrived with the newly planted pot.  She had made it look like a desert scene from somewhere like Arizona or New Mexico.  She showed them a spot in the sky and told them that they could write the cactus’s name there if they wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know Elain likes to name her plants,” Feyre explained.  “So I intentionally left it open for that purpose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain thanked her sister and turned to Azriel, “All right, ready to learn how to plant your cactus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been doing fine all day, this is no different,” she told him as she filled the bottom of the pot with a little bit of soil.  “It's much like what we were doing with the ferns.”  She then grabbed his cactus and its old pot and carefully began trying to carefully dig it out.  Azriel watched what she was doing carefully.  “How long ago did you water him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About a week ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay well once I get him potted let’s water him again and then you can go another week before watering him,” she explained.  She then instructed him to put more soil around the edges of the pot where the cactus didn’t touch when she transplanted him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did as he was told, and then asked, “So do you want to name him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, “He’s your cactus, you get to name him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the cactus and said, “Buddy.  It’s what I’ve been calling him anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See!  I knew you’d be good at this,” Elain said excitedly.  “You already named him and didn’t even know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They wrapped up the video and Azriel hesitantly asked, “Would you like to go get dinner with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to,” she said.  “Let me go wash my hands and change my clothes real quick and then we can go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed her into the house so he could wash his own hands.  Buddy was in his hands as he made his way inside.  He found Feyre in the kitchen drinking tea and looking at her phone.  He wondered if his brother was currently messaging her.  “Hey Feyre,” he said, trying to grab her attention.  When she looked up he asked, “Could I borrow a brush and some black paint?  I want to paint Buddy’s name onto the pot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!  I’ll be right back,” she got up and he heard her talking to Elain briefly.  The two sisters returned together.  “Here you go, Azriel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call me Az,” he said with a grateful smile.  He turned to the pot and neatly wrote Buddy’s name onto the pot.  Once he was done he looked back to Elain, “Are you ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!  Don’t wait up,” she called over her shoulder to her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel opened her car door for her and made sure she was in safely before closing it and rounding the car to his own side.  The radio was on low when the car started, the sounds of classic rock coming through the speakers.  “You can change it,” he offered.  “I have CDs in the glove compartment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She flipped through it and glanced at Azriel, “Classical?  You don’t strike me as the type of man to like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “Rhys’s mother was the one that got me into it.  I also like </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Princess Bride.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So do I!”  Elain excitedly said.  “It’s my favorite movie of all time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two quickly began bonding over music and movies finding they had similar tastes.  Their conversation continued as they were seated at a table at Rita’s and Azriel felt himself relaxing around Elain.  Talking to her wasn’t a chore and he felt like he could be himself with her.  He got her to laugh a couple of times, and one of those times she nearly spit out her drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a little after ten when Azriel brought Elain back home.  They had stretched the evening on for as long as they could.  He walked her to her front door, “I enjoyed today, despite being nervous I was going to break something or destroy one of the plants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed, “I knew you’d handle it like a pro.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And thank you for being a wonderful dinner companion.  I don’t think I’ve had that much fun with someone in a while,” he confessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same, and I won’t tell your brothers that you think they don’t make fun company,” she teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled at her and shifted a bit nervously before leaning down and brushing a kiss against her cheek.  When he pulled away she was staring at him wide-eyed and her mouth parted slightly.  He almost leaned in and kissed her fully, but held back.  “Goodnight Elain,” he murmured before turning and heading back to his car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight Az,” he heard her say a bit breathlessly and he grinned to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel had just finished getting ready for bed when he felt his phone buzz and checked to see Elain had messaged him.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼:</b>
  <span> You left Buddy here</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel:</b>
  <span> It’s okay, I’ll be back to get him soon</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain🌺🌸🌼:</b>
  <span>  And maybe next time you’ll give me a proper kiss</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That comment made him stare at his phone for a moment before he grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>As you wish</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, tonight had been a good one.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's been a good day so to celebrate I'm going to post this chapter early!  I'm ahead on my NaNoWriMo project!  I may even reach my goal before the deadline.<br/>Also the next chapter will be the dinner with the three of them.  I'm also planning on making a Tumblr for my ACOTAR content and I'll let you all know when I have it set up.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Eleven ~ Nesta</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warnings for this chapter: death mention, drinking, murder, and drunk driving.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She didn’t know why she had agreed to come to the Knight brothers’ dinner that Friday.  Maybe it hadn’t taken much to convince her that she wanted to go.  Maybe she wanted to see Cassian’s stupid smirking face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No.  No, she didn’t want to see him.  Not one bit.  In fact, she should have stayed home to finish the book she was reading for her channel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain practically bolted for the front door of the Knight brothers' home, she was the only one out of the three that had been here before.  Azriel was already there waiting for her as she quickly showed him the cactus he had left at their house the day before.  The two of them were smiling and Nesta eyed them suspiciously.  What the hell had gone on at dinner the night before?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped inside and found two other women talking quietly amongst themselves.  There was a dark-skinned man talking with Cassian.  She quickly looked away before she caught his gaze.  Feyre and Rhys had gravitated toward one another and were talking leaving Nesta lingering awkwardly in the entryway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not gonna lie,” she heard his voice and looked up to see Cassian sauntering toward her.  “I didn’t think you would come.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shifted on her feet, resisting the urge to run from him and his spicy cologne.  “I didn’t have a reason not to come,” she said.  “Plus I figured you’d have something smart to say if I didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and her breath hitched as the sound washed over her and she tried to keep herself from shivering.  How could one man have such an effect on her?  “I probably would have teased you some, but I’m glad you came.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde woman Nesta had seen when she had entered the home practically shoved Cassian out of the way, “Stop hogging her, Cass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus, Mor!”  He shot a glare at the woman.  “Try to act like a fucking adult for once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She flipped him off and then looped her arm through Nesta’s who instantly stiffened at the contact.  “Don’t let Cass tease you too much.  It just spurs him on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta glanced back at Cassian who was glaring at Mor, but his gaze softened when he noticed Nesta looking.  “Don’t worry I’m not that easy.”  The sound of Cassian’s chuckle followed her as Mor led her into the kitchen where Amren had managed to herd Nesta’s sisters away from their Knight brother of choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s about damn time the women outnumber the men in this house,” Mor said as she flipped some of her hair over her shoulder and took a glass of wine from Amren’s outstretched hand.  “It’s just been Amren and I for so long that I’m happy that the three of you are here now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can thank the boys for us tumbling into your lives,” Feyre said with a chuckle.  She seemed to be the one out of the three sisters to be most at ease.  Nesta was a little jealous of how easy it was for her to adjust to new people and situations.  “If it hadn’t been for that video of them reacting to us I doubt we would be here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amren snorted, “Rhys would have messaged you eventually because he was already in love with your artwork and videos.  He’s just too shy to admit it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, now Amren,” Rhys appeared in the doorway, leaning against it with his arms crossed.  “It’s not nice to spread rumors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amren sneered at the man in question, “We’re having girl time, get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whose house is it?”  Rhys seemed unbothered by the prickly woman before him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out!”  Amren ordered and pointed her finger at him until he carefully peeled himself off the doorframe and disappeared around a corner.  “Nosy bastard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard that!”  He shouted back which made Feyre chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta watched the way her sister’s face lit up during that brief interaction with Rhysand.  She remembered how he had been when he had seen the article about Feyre as well.  He hadn’t seemed concerned with the contents of the article and more about how Feyre was doing.  Azriel had been the same, she hadn't sensed anything off about the men her sisters seemed to be interested in.  She didn’t get the same feeling in her gut as she had with Graysen and Tamlin.  They had made her skin crawl and her stomach churn whenever they smiled.  She knew they were bad news the minute she set her eyes on them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was Cassian.  She had been trying desperately to keep her walls up around him.  But when she had walked into that coffee shop and saw him sitting there with Ianthe she had seen red.  Then she noticed how uncomfortable he looked and she knew she had to do something.  It felt good to run that blonde bitch away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianthe had pretended to be Feyre’s friend and be there for her, but in all reality, she was fucking Tamlin behind Feyre’s back.  When Feyre found out she had been devastated, but Tamlin wasn’t about to let her go.  It had taken both Elain and Nesta to drag Feyre from the house, screaming at Tamlin to stay the fuck away from them.  It wasn’t too long after that he had decided to galavant across the world on some sort of bullshit tour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone was shaking her and Nesta looked to see Elain trying to get her attention, “You okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, “Just lost in thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re a lot, I know,” Mor said with a smile.  “We kinda come on a little strong when you first meet us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that, I’m just… I’m not used to being around new people,” Nesta admitted.  “My idea of a good time is being curled up in my room with a book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amren snorted, “I’m surprised you hang around Cassian then.  He’s loud, brash, and obnoxious.  Though he does have this side to him that not a lot of people see outside of this group.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor nodded, “Cassian’s a softie once you get to know him.  He just likes to act like he’s got swagger and this bad boy reputation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta thought back to their conversation where they talked about things that comforted them and how he liked to watch </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lilo and Stitch</span>
  </em>
  <span> when he needed something to comfort him.  “What was he like as a teen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I didn’t know him then,” Amren admitted.  “We only met a few years ago and it was a complete accident.  I’m sure you are all very aware that I do not have a channel.  We met under less than savory circumstances, but we’ve been friends ever since.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta wondered what those circumstances were and made a mental note to see if Cassian would tell her later.  He didn’t have to tell her of course, they were still newly acquainted after all, but she couldn’t lie and say that she wasn’t curious about what had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pizza’s here,” Azriel seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.  “Let’s eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The women followed him into a dining room that was large enough to seat them all.  The sisters sat next to their Knight brother of choice and a box of pizza was passed around.  Nesta noticed three other boxes and wondered how much food this group could pack away.  Conversations flowed and Nesta found herself laughing at the antics of the group.  They were a small family and they let their hair down around one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She especially loved it when the brothers tried outdoing one another with embarrassing stories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think my favorite is when Rhys’s mom almost caught Cassian with a girl in high school,” Mor said.  “I happened to be visiting for a bit and Cassian, ever the dumbass had snuck a girl in.  Rhy’s parents were supposed to be out for most of the night, but part of the evening had gotten canceled.  They came home and if it hadn’t have been for me he would have been in deep shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, listen,” Cassian said, quickly glancing at Nesta who was looking at him expectantly, an eyebrow raised.  “We had been going out for a few weeks and we wanted to go to the next stage of our relationship.  Albeit I was an idiot back then so this may not have been my finest hour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so lucky my sister didn’t know,” Rhys chuckled.  “She would have told on you so quick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a sister?”  Feyre asked and the air in the room suddenly changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did,” Rhys responded.  Nesta watched him try to hold his composure.  “She passed away a few years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta found herself glancing at Cassian who was suddenly focused on his pizza.  Amren was the one that saved the moment and brought them back to a semi-normal conversation.  Cassian though quietly excused himself from the table and disappeared around a corner.  Before she could reconsider she got up and followed him.  If the others noticed they didn’t comment on their friends’ sudden departures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found him sitting outside staring up at the sky.  “I hate living in the city, it’s too hard to see the stars,” he said as he heard her approach.  She took a seat beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest.  “Farren - Rhys’s sister - was only eighteen when she died.  Her and Rhys’s mom were killed by a drunk driver."  He let out a breath and squeezed his eyes shut, "This is the second time this topic has come up this week and it’s just… hard to think about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amren mentioned that you all met under less than savory circumstances, does this have anything to do with that?”  Nesta asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you if you promise not to tell Feyre, this partly has to do with Rhys’s past and he should be the one to tell it to her,” Cassian’s hazel eyes met hers.  “I won’t tell you unless you swear not to mention it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear,” she said even though she wondered if he would tell her something that she should inform Feyre of as her older sister.  She still had a duty to protect her sister if it came down to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian looked out over the city, they were far enough away that they could see the city sprawled out before them.  “When Adeena and Farren died we all handled it in different ways.  I often found myself locked in my room with the music too loud and a bottle of some kind of alcohol.  I just wanted to be left alone to bury my emotions under a blanket of booze.  Az started working out and fighting in an MMA class.  And Rhys… well Rhys took to partying.  There was this woman named Amarantha, she was older than Rhys and she had known his father.  She actually despised Rhys’s mom and it wouldn’t surprise me one little bit if she weren’t happy to see Adeena dead and gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She found Rhys out one night, girls all around him.  I don’t know how, but she managed to get her hooks into him.  Az and I didn’t even realize it was happening because we were too into our own depressive states that we didn’t notice or even care.  Mor was the one that figured everything out, she was always close with Rhys, the two were always running around together when they were kids.  She told us who he was hanging out with and we knew that we had to intervene.  The woman was trying her damndest to destroy him.  Amren is a jewel dealer and had actually seen Rhys at Amarantha’s house.  She told us that he spent most of his time there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We tried for weeks to get him to come out and talk to us, but he refused, or at least that’s what Amarantha told us.  Finally, Amren, feisty as ever, shoved her way in, all of us following suit.  Mor practically dragged Rhys’s drunken ass out of Amrantha’s house, cursing him the entire time.  Az and I made a deal with one another that we weren’t going to leave Rhys to deal with his emotions like that again.  We were brothers after all and we should have been looking out for one another.  Rhys started seeing a therapist after that, we all did.  He still goes on occasion to deal with what he did.  Some people that didn’t like Rhys’s father used to call him her whore.  Said he was just like his father.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who was his father?”  Nesta asked, her heart broke a little for the three brothers and the pain they must have gone through when all this happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adrastos Knight, the most selfish, arrogant, son of a bitch you’ll ever meet,” Cassian said.  “He’s in jail right now for murder.  Adeena had divorced him before that ever happened actually and got her kids out of the house.  That’s when she took us in.  He wasn’t the nicest person in the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The name sounded familiar and when it finally clicked in Nesta’s head she said, “He murdered Tamilin’s family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say what you will about Adrastos, but he did love Adeena as much as he could,” Cassian said.  “Tamlin was the drunk driver that killed Rhys’s sister and mother.  He got off scot-free, but all anyone ever remembers is the crazy man who murdered his entire family and left him alive.  We think it was some sort of retribution, let him have survivors guilt or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta had to confess she hadn’t known that about Tamlin, she never really wanted to give him the time of day let alone learn more about him.  “That’s probably why he was talking shit about Feyre the other day.  He doesn’t like that she’s now hanging out around Rhysand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Cassian agreed.  “My brother is a good guy, he would never hurt Feyre.  He just went through a rough patch in his life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta watched his profile, saw his eyes surveying the scenery before them.  “Thank you for telling me,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finally looked at her, his gaze softened as he took in her features, “Come on, let’s go in before they send a search party for us.”  He offered her his hand and helped her off the ground before the two of them headed back inside to see what kind of trouble the others had gotten themselves into.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A bit of a heavier chapter towards the end.  But I've officially started a Tumblr!  It's batboyazriel so feel free to follow me there or message me if you want!  Hope y'all are doing well and I'll see you next week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Twelve ~ Cassian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been a long time since Cassian had told anyone what had happened all those years ago.  Before he had let himself feel those emotions again.  Telling Nesta hadn’t felt like a chore though.  He hadn’t minded sitting outside, watching the city, and telling her about one of the hardest moments of his life.  Remembering the day they had drug Rhys’s ass out of Amrantha’s house while she screamed at them that he belonged to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Az had to hold Mor back as she went to lunge for the older woman.  All of them knew that if Mor had gotten her hands on Amarantha that she would have killed her.  It had crossed their minds to let her, let her rid the world of the stain that was known as Amrantha St. Germain.  But then Mor could have been charged for murder and then that would have been a whole new nightmare that they would have had to live through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys had her blocked on everything, but she had still tried to contact him after.  Rhys managed to get a restraining order and they hadn’t heard from her since.  Cassian wasn’t sure if they had ever seen the last of Amarantha, but for right now they would take the peace and quiet.  Praying that she had moved on to something new.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or maybe she had died.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was something Cassian would ever admit to wishing.  It took a lot for him to wish death on a person, but she deserved it and he wasn’t going to regret the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Nesta😍📚: </b>
  <span>When do you want to film for our collaboration?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The message from Nesta had startled him out of his thoughts.  They had exchanged numbers the night before, Nesta claiming it was a pain to message through Instagram.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Cassian: </b>
  <span>I can come over whenever you want me to.  I finished the book a few days ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Nesta😍📚: </b>
  <span>Ten o’clock tomorrow morning.  Don’t be late, Knight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian chuckled, he wasn’t sure what he had expected from him pouring his heart out to Nesta as he had.  He didn’t expect her to instantly start trusting him or treating him differently.  That wasn’t why he had told her anyhow.  But he also didn’t feel like she was being as prickly toward him as she once had.  This felt different.  That wall that she had put up between them was slowly coming down and Cassian wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t excited by that prospect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nesta’s reading room was just as neat as he had expected it to be.  It was neat with the rows of books organized by genre and author.  Her desk had her computer and papers scattered across it with different colored pens.  In one corner was where she sat and recorded her videos.  A camera was already set up and she had brought in an extra chair for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre had been the one to show him to the room where Nesta recorded and said that her sister was trying to make sure everything was ready.  “That’s really code for she’s stressed,” Feyre had whispered with a slight giggle.  “Have fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Cassian was seated in one of those chairs and was waiting for Nesta to finish whatever she was typing up on the computer.  She glanced over her shoulder at him, “You look uncomfortable, Knight.  Are you nervous?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” he tried to say as smoothly as he could.  “Not nervous at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta smirked and turned back to her computer, “Keep telling yourself that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian watched her for a moment before asking, “Out of the three of you, I wouldn’t have pictured you as the type to start a YouTube channel.  What made you decide to do this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta slowly closed the lid to her laptop and swiveled her chair around so that she was now facing him.  There was a thoughtful look on her face as she considered her answer.  “When we were children I never had a lot of friends like my sisters did.  I lost myself in books, spending my lunches in the school library or with the English teacher.  I really started to read after our mother passed away.  Our dad checked out and I felt as though I needed to step up being the oldest.  Books were my only escape.  You found comfort in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lilo and Stitch </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I found it in books.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How old were you when she passed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was about fifteen, Elain was thirteen, and Feyre eleven.  We were happy before that, and then when she died it was like the happiness had been sucked away.  I started YouTube when I was about seventeen, I found the BookTube community and wanted to be a part of it.  Elain and Feyre followed after that.  When we all finally had enough of a following and money coming in we moved from New York to here.  We all wanted to be as far from our father and our old home as we could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian knew what it was like to have to fend for yourself as they had.  He had faced a very different type of trauma than they had, but they had all suffered in ways.  “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged off his comment, “It is what it is and it’s led us here, so we can’t complain too much.”  She met his gaze again, “So are you ready to begin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and she joined him in the corner.  She introduced herself as she had hundreds of times before and introduced Cassian.  She began asking him questions about the book and what he thought of it.  They interacted with lively banter and Cassian found himself laughing so hard he had tears coming out of his eyes.  Nesta was also laughing, though not as hard as he was.  They talked about their favorite parts and their favorite characters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t tell me that the part where Marcus says to Diana, ‘Hey mom, I’m home!’ wasn’t hilarious,” Cassian said while pointing a finger at Nesta.  “I cracked up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I completely agree!”  She said excitedly.  “I had to set the book down for a solid five minutes to regain my composure.”  Cassian couldn’t stop smiling, he felt as if this were the most natural thing in the world.  When they wrapped up their overview of the book Nesta asked, “Are you going to read the rest of the series?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hell yes, I’m going to go by the bookstore soon just to get the others.  I’m dying to see what happens next,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That seemed to have pleased her, “Well then I guess we’re just going to have to keep making videos for this series together then, Knight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re on, Acheron,” he said with a smile.  She told her viewers goodbye and Cassian bid them farewell as well before she cut the camera off.  “Were you serious?  Do you want to keep making more videos together while I’m reading this series?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I said no would you stop reading them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I still want to know what happens, I’m just curious if I’m going to have anyone to talk to about them,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then yes, we’re going to keep this up for as long as you read them,” she turned away from him, but before she did he thought he caught her cheeks turning a faint pink color.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved closer to her and he saw her stiffen somewhat at the closeness, “You know, we’ve done something for your channel, now you have to do something on mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at him with an eyebrow raised, “And just what do you plan to have me do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shall I surprise you or do you want to know what I’m going to have you playing?”  He challenged her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surprise me,” she said after a moment's consideration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Famous last words,” he chuckled.  “I need to go, but I’ll let you know when things are ready on my end.”  He grabbed what few things he had brought with him and headed for the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A few days from now, probably on Monday around five o’clock I’ll be at Velaris Books.  Maybe I’ll see you there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a date,” he winked at her and disappeared around the corner before he fist-bumped the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rhys was lounging on Cassian’s bed as Cassian tried to figure out what he was going to wear.  He was going to be meeting Nesta at the bookstore in an hour and he felt like he had nothing to wear.  His brother was finding it amusing how out of sorts Cassian seemed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re not going to help then you can get out,” he snapped at Rhys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys smirked, “You’re really worked up over this aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well duh!”  Cassian said in exasperation.  “I just don’t want this to go poorly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys stood and shooed Cassian out of the way.  As he began riffling through Cassian’s closet he said, “The two of you clearly have chemistry and like one another just try not to act any differently than you have been.  She likes you for you and I can tell that Nesta values honesty above everything.  Don’t try to be something you’re not because you think it’s going to impress her.”  He threw a black t-shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans at Cassian.  “Casual is key for this evening.  You’re going shopping for books not meeting the Queen of England.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian nodded, “I can do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will be fine,” Rhy called over his shoulder as he left his brother to change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At five he arrived at the bookstore and saw Nesta standing out front typing away on her phone.  He wondered if she was messaging one of her sisters about tonight and if she were just as nervous as he was.  She had an excellent poker face and he found it hard to read her expressions sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made his way over to her and said, “Hi.”  She jumped, not having been paying attention to her surroundings.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You came,” she almost sounded as if she weren’t sure that he would have come.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I would be here.  I believe my exact words were ‘it’s a date’,” he leaned against the wall, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans to hide how jittery he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta gulped, “Right… a date.”  She tucked her phone into her back pocket.  “Kinda weird for a first date isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would it be weird?”  He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well aren’t first dates either at coffee shops or at a restaurant?” She questioned him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And where’s the fun in that?  Those are so cliche and overdone.  I wanna keep you on your toes,” he pushed himself off the wall and offered his arm to her which she took.  “Plus I know you like books, so we’re going to go around the store and you're going to tell me about your favorites and which ones you want to read or get.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you would get bored quickly,” she laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why would I get bored when I get to learn more about you?”  He challenged her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She faltered for a moment, her gaze lifting to his.  “Do you always know the right things to say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned and let her continue to lead him through the store until they reached one of her favorite sections.  “I wouldn’t say always, I have been known to stick my foot in my mouth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hummed as a response and ran her finger over the spine of one of the books.  “So what are your go to moves in order to woo your date for the evening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who says I’m going to use them on you?”  He questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped reading the cover of the book and gave him a quizzical look, “And why wouldn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you’re different from other people I’ve taken on dates,” he told her.  “When I was more into the club scene yeah I had moves in order to secure a date for the evening, but you’re not some girl at a club.  You’re not a hookup.  You are someone I can actually see myself being completely serious with and dating long term.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>not looking for a long term relationship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are,” he said without hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How would you know that?”  She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly a little suspicious.  She probably thought he was another self-assured jackass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gestured to the books around them, they were currently in the romance section.  “Your reading habits give you away, Nesta.  You want a love like you read about.  You want a man that will sweep you off your feet and never let you down.  Now I may let you down because no one is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>perfect, but I will try my damndest to sweep you off your feet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face softened at his words, “I don’t expect my significant other to be perfect.  I know the difference between fiction and reality.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you do, and I know you close yourself off from men because of how your sisters were treated in the past.  You lose yourself in these books because it’s safer for you,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop reading me like I’m one of these books,” she playfully shoved him and he laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But darling, you're my favorite book in here,” he whispered against her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze, her mouth opening and closing as if she were trying to speak but couldn’t find the right words.  Then finding her voice once more she said, “Okay that was good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, I thought of that one on the fly,” he grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued their evening together, Nesta pointing out a couple of books that she wanted and a special edition of one of her favorites that she had been eying for a while.  When she wasn’t paying attention he plucked it off the shelf and hid it amongst the ones he was already carrying.  He had seen the longing look in her eyes as she had resigned herself to leaving it behind for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they were finished they both paid for their purchases at separate registers.  Alis and Nesta talking quietly while the girl behind the cash register eyed Cassian up and down and even tried giving him her number which he swiftly refused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they headed for Nesta’s car Cassian pulled out the special edition of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clockwork Angel </span>
  </em>
  <span>by Cassandra Clare and hid it behind his back.  “I have something I want to give you,” he said.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited patiently and then gasped when she saw what he had been hiding behind his back.  “When did you--?  How did you--?  Oh my God, thank you, Cassian!”  She took the book from him and studied it with a wide grin.  She looked up at him, “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “I saw how you were looking at it in the store and I saw the video where you talked about how it was one of your favorites.  I just decided I would do something nice and get it for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could tell that he had completely floored Nesta with this gift.  She just stared at him, her mouth opened slightly as if she were going to speak, but she couldn’t come up with words that would convey how she was feeling.  “Thank you,” was what finally came out.  “This means a lot to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile, “It was nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hesitated, but started backing away toward her car, “I need to get home, but I had a great time tonight, Cass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did I, Nesta,” he felt relieved to hear that she had had a good time.  “I’ll talk to you later?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said quickly as she opened her car door.  “I’ll talk to you later.”  Then she was gone, leaving him to bask in the utter joy of the moment and how good tonight had gone.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In honor of finishing writing my fifth book (the one I was working on for National Novel Writing Month) I thought I'd celebrate by posting a chapter! (Normal updates are going to resume soon now that I'm not necessarily rushing to write my NaNo project now.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Thirteen ~ Feyre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a really heavy chapter, it deals with abuse, attempted murder, alcohol abuse, and sexual abuse.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The internet sometimes wasn’t a kind place to be.  Feyre knew that better than some and she was going through hell right now.  Ever since that article had dropped where Tamlin had lied about her being an attention-seeking whore his followers had been bombing her pages with comments and harassing her.  It got so bad that she just logged out of everything for a few days to give herself a break.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought once she had broken it off with Tamlin that the drama would be done with.  She had told him she just didn’t want to fight anymore and she didn’t want to talk to him ever again.  He hadn’t been happy about it, of course, he had always been possessive of her and that last day had been a nightmare.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re not leaving me!”  He snarled at her as she began packing bags.  Her sisters were on their way to get her and help her get the rest of her shit out of Tamlin’s apartment.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Feyre had paused, fear instantly working its way down her spine, she knew that voice.  When she turned she saw how angry he was, the rage evident all over his face from the way his eyes narrowed to the thin line his lips were pressed into.  “Tamlin it’s not working anymore,” she tried to say as calmly as she could.  “I don’t… I don’t love you anymore,” those words were dangerous and it seemed to only anger him further.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t love me?”  He began stalking toward her and she backed herself against the wall, feeling very much like a deer caught in headlights.  Or an injured animal getting ready to be killed by a hungry wolf.  "I’ve given you everything and you have the audacity to tell me that you don’t love me anymore!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His hands were around her throat squeezing so hard that she could barely breathe or get words out.  The door to their shared bedroom had slammed open and she heard her sisters screaming.  Lucien had come racing in and tore Tamlin’s hands away from her throat.  “What the hell man?!”  He had shouted.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her sisters were by her side in an instant and pulling her up off the floor where she had slid down and began crying.  “SHE’S NOT LEAVING THIS APARTMENT!”  Tamlin roared as Lucien held him back.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Get her out of here!”  He shouted at her sisters.  “I’ve got him.  Go!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They had fled the apartment, Nesta barely grabbing the few bags that Feyre had packed so her sister would have clothes.  Lucien had come by later that evening to check on Feyre and apologize for not seeing the signs sooner.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>In the two years since that incident had happened, she had never come forward and spoken about what had happened.  Her sisters found her a therapist and she went twice a week at first to deal with the trauma she had experienced.  Lucien had been there too, helping her pick up the pieces of her life.  Making sure that when she decided to go get the rest of her stuff Tamlin wasn’t there.  He even stopped being friends with him when he realized how bad of a person Tamlin was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should speak up,” she told her sisters at breakfast.  She had gone back on her socials the night before and saw that it was still a mess and people were waiting for her response to the whole thing.  “I need to tell my story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s none of their damn business,” Nesta said, she sounded angry, but Feyre knew that it wasn’t directed at her.  “Tamlin Thorn should have learned to keep his damn mouth shut and leave you out of things.  This is just his twisted way of trying to reel you back in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s right,” Elain said softly, resting one of her hands on top of Feyre’s.  “Don’t let him bait you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre rubbed her face with her hands, “I just want the comments to go away.  I’m used to the ‘you suck’, ‘god you’re so annoying just get off the internet’, or ‘you’re such a bitch’.  I get that they come with the territory, but Tamlin’s fans are just opening old wounds that I’d rather not relive.”  She stood, “I need a break.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feyre--”  She heard Elain start to say something and then Nesta silently shushing her and telling her to give Feyre some time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre headed up to her studio and turned on her camera, “Hello everyone.  I know it’s not Friday, but I wanted to let you all know that I’m going to be stepping back from my channel for a bit.”  She felt tears welling up in her eyes, “Something’s happened and it’s reopening old wounds and I need some time to reheal.  I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.  Thank you for your love and support, it means the world to me.”  She switched off her camera and quickly uploaded the video before logging off and heading to her room to disappear under the covers for a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she was woken by someone slipping into bed with her.  At first, she thought it was one of her sisters, but then she smelled Rhys’s cologne and her eyes snapped open.  “Rhys?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His violet eyes were watching her, “Nesta called me, said that you needed cuddles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is not what I said to you, asshole!”  She heard Nesta call from the door, obviously having shown Rhys to Feyre’s room and making sure she didn’t need to kick him out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her tone suggested you needed cuddles,” he restated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can throw him out,” Nesta's tone said she would love nothing more than to kick him out if that's what her sister wanted her to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all right,” Feyre found herself moving closer to Rhys and his arms going around her instantly.  “Thank you.”  Nesta’s footsteps faded down the stairs.  She was quiet, “Did you see the video?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did,” he said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to know about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys hesitated, “I won’t lie and say that I’m not curious, but what you share with me is completely up to you, Feyre darling.  I’m not going to pressure you into telling me things that you would rather keep private.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about I tell you something and then you tell me something in turn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, that seems fair and doable,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared deeply into those violet eyes that she still wanted to paint, she had been trying to mix the perfect amount of paints to get it just right.  “Tamlin abused me when we were together.  Slowly at first and then I would spend hours trying to hide the bruises from everyone.  The last day we were together he tried to kill me because I didn’t want to stay with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys’s arms tightened around her a bit as if he were afraid he would lose her.  “Feyre, I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His ex-best friend and my sisters got me out,” she told him.  “And that was the last time I ever saw him face to face, though he tried to win me back several times after that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You asked me about my sister the other day at dinner,” he said and she nodded her head.  “She and my mother were killed by a drunk driver a few years ago….  Tamlin was the one driving the car.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre pulled away, a soft gasp escaping her lips, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was before you met him and started seeing him.  He got off because of his father’s money.”  Feyre could see the remnants of the pain and anger in his eyes.  “I loved my sister and mother so much.  Losing them felt like a part of me had died right along with them.  And I’m thankful I had Mor, Cass, and Az. I don’t know what I would do without them,” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry, I had no idea,” and that was the truth.  The entire time she had been with Tamlin she had never heard about him being drunk and killing two people.  Although she wasn’t that surprised to learn this truth about him.  “He used to make me feel like I was worthless like he was the best I was ever going to get, and after a while, I started to believe him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brushed some hair out of her face, his thumb lingering on her cheek, “You are not worthless, Feyre Acheron.  You are the smartest, most beautiful, most talented woman I have ever met.  And you deserve the world.”  She could have cried at the conviction in his voice, there was no deceit in his voice.  He meant every word.  “My dad was the one that murdered Tamlin’s entire family,” the words were hushed as he spoke them.  “My parents had been divorced at that point.  My father isn’t the easiest person to be around, but he did love my mother.  She just couldn’t be with him anymore because his version of love isn’t what love is supposed to be.  And I don’t hate him for what he did to Tamlin’s family because I wanted to do it too, and I wanted him to know what it felt like to lose those you loved so dearly.  If that makes me a bad person then so be it, but I’ll never get my mother and Farren back, and I am reminded of that constantly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think it makes you a bad person, you weren’t the one that acted on those feelings.  And you were coming from a place of loss and hurt, we’re not all the most rational people in those moments,” she tried to comfort him.  “Tamlin was the first man I ever loved and since then I’ve been scared to let anyone else in.  I’ve been afraid that they’ll hurt me as he did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys was quiet for a moment, “After my mother and sister died I fell into a hole of bad decisions.”  He took a shuddering breath and rested his forehead against hers.  “This woman, her name was Amarantha, she knew my father and had always harbored feelings for him.  They were cut from the same cloth, both ruthless and cruel.  She hated that my mother had been the one my father chose in the end.  She saw me out at a club one night drinking my weight in alcohol and she took advantage of my situation.  Maybe to get back at my mother or my father, I was never sure.  </span>
  <span>She abused me in different ways, sex being one of them.  It took Cass, Amren, Az, and Mor to drag me from her house to pull me from my stupor.  They got me the help I needed.  That relationship still haunts me though.  On my worst days, I remember her, the things I did when I was with her.  Some people who hated my family and I knew about what was going on and called me her whore.  My pain and suffering brought them pleasure.  I know how you feel Feyre because I was there as well.  Love is a tricky thing and you are more than deserving of someone who will love you in all the ways that you need to be loved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So are you,” she murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a little sigh as if he had been holding in his breath, “Do you want to go somewhere?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled away so he could get a better look at her face, “Do you trust me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without hesitation she said, “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He untangled himself from her and said he’d wait downstairs while she changed and told her to wear something comfortable.  Feyre dressed quickly and when she came downstairs she saw that Rhys was leaning against the wall checking his phone.  He looked up as soon as he heard her coming and held out his hand to her.  She slipped her hand into his and they headed for his car, their hands only unlinking so they could get into their respective seats and get buckled up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They drove for a ways, the sun slowly going down.  They were heading into the middle of nowhere and she couldn’t help but wonder where he was taking her.  Soon he was pulling over at a wide spot and he unbuckled.  “We’re here,” he told her as he got out and grabbed a blanket from the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got out as well and joined Rhys on the blanket he had spread out on the ground.  “Are you going to tell me where we are and why we’re here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pointed to the sky and said, “This is Templin Highway and you can see the stars from here.”  He turned his head so that he was looking at her, “I feel at peace here and I thought you could use some of that right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys wasn’t wrong, she could use some peace.  She turned her gaze back to the sky and let herself get lost in the millions of stars shining above them.  Neither she nor Rhys said anything as they laid there observing the stars.  They didn’t need to say anything, they had talked enough for that night and now they were just enjoying being in one another’s presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre wasn’t sure how long they laid there, but all too soon Rhys was nudging her and saying they should probably get back.  She reluctantly agreed and he took her home.  When they were on her doorstep he leaned forward and brushed a kiss to her forehead and said, “Remember that no matter what that prick says you are worthy of love and aren’t anything like what he or his fans say.  He’s the one that can’t stop chasing the limelight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for tonight and everything else,” she told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anytime, Feyre darling,” he offered her one last dazzling smile before heading back to his car and driving off.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter is a lot less heavy I promise. And then after that one is my favorite chapter so far ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Fourteen ~ Rhysand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The coffee shop where Rhys, Az, and Cassian currently were was quiet.  An oddity for a Wednesday afternoon, but they were thankful nonetheless.  Rhys was working on edits for one of his videos as well as texting Feyre about a good time for her to come over to play one of the games he recommended.  Az had his headphones on and was watching some type of video on MMA fighting.  He had a tournament coming up and was preparing for it.  And Cassian was reading the next book in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Discovery of Witches </span>
  </em>
  <span>series.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things were relatively calm and Rhys felt restless because of it.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tamlin had been quiet since that initial article about Feyre had come out and Feyre hadn’t been painting as much as she used to.  She still worked on her commissions, but she hadn’t been uploading.  The reactions from her viewers had been mixed, some wanting to know what was going on and if it had to do with Tamlin; while the others thought that this proved Tamlin’s point and she was now hiding after having been called out.  </span>
  <span>Rhys wished there was something he could do to make this better for her, but he didn’t know what to do.  What he truly wanted to do was go find Tamlin and beat the shit out of him for what he had done to Feyre, but he resisted that urge and thought that it was only going to get him into more trouble and possibly hurt Feyre even more than she already was.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre Darling: </b>
  <span>If I released a video on what happened, would you be there with me?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys stared at the message for a moment, his heart thudding in his chest.  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys:  </b>
  <span>You owe no one an explanation.  And if you did this it would only open a whole new can of worms.  Things could get messy real quick.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre Darling: </b>
  <span>I know, Nesta and Elain made the same points to me this morning when I mentioned it.  But I can’t keep living in fear and I can’t let Tamlin control my life anymore.  I was stupid to think that he would just leave me alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre Darling: </b>
  <span>You don’t need to be on camera or anything, but if you were just in the room with me I’d feel better</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys: </b>
  <span>Just say when and I’ll be there.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre Darling: </b>
  <span>It’ll probably be sometime next week, I’m not ready to make the video yet.  I’m going to speak with my therapist first and then plan from there.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys: </b>
  <span>All right, I’ll be waiting and ready whenever you need me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was already imagining the shitstorm this was about to bring onto her, but he also knew that if she didn’t speak out then Tamlin could continue to control the narrative.  Some people would believe her, others wouldn’t.  He would stand beside her no matter what happened though, he wasn’t going to let her face this alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew her sisters would be there for her as well, they wouldn’t abandon her at a time like this.  And he would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy that she wanted him there with her when she did the video.  She trusted him enough to let him be in on this and that meant the world to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone was snapping their fingers in front of his face taking him out of his thoughts and heard Cassian say, “Earth to Rhysand, anyone home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced at his brother, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re ready to go, are you coming or are you going to stay here for a little while longer?”  They had all come in separate vehicles given the fact that they each had different agendas after their morning together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’ll stay for a little while longer,” he told his brothers who merely shrugged and said their goodbyes before leaving Rhys to his thoughts once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Out of all the everyday tasks that Rhys had to fulfill he hated grocery shopping the most.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was tedious when he had to get things for his brothers.  Cassian wanted a certain type of oatmeal, Azriel needed the light purple Gatorade.  Cassian didn’t want wheat bread, Azriel wanted pumpernickel.  The list went on and on, and Rhys wished that they would just shop for themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they took turns going to the grocery store, they did everything in shifts.  It was something his mother had instilled in them when they were younger and something they still did to this day.  It was one of the many fond memories he had of his mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Adeena sighed when she saw the mess the three boys had made.  They had been caught in the rain on their way home from the park and had traipsed mud all through the house.  “I just cleaned this floor yesterday and now look at it.”  The three young men looked down sheepishly.  “I’m going to implement a new rule,” his mother had said.  “From now on the three of you are going to take turns cleaning the floors on the weekend.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“But Mom!”  Rhys had gone to say, but one look from his mother silenced him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No buts Rhysand, I’m going to teach you all responsibility.  Right now I’m going to teach you how to properly clean the floor and then next weekend you get to start the cleaning rotation, then Cassian, and finally Azriel,” she told them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They spent the next thirty minutes learning from his mother how to clean while Farren sat back grinning.  She had her own chores and was happy to see her brothers get yelled at for making a mess for once.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was merely a habit for the three of them to split the duties fairly with one another.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, well,” the voice instantly made Rhys tense and he turned to see Tamlin staring at him with a cocky grin on his face.  “You were the last person I thought I would see out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys grit his teeth and his grip tightened around the handles of the basket.  “Thorn,” he spat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that any way to greet an old friend?  Especially one you’ve stolen his girl from?”  Tamlin’s cocky smile was still plastered on his face, but his eyes told of the anger simmering underneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was under the impression that Feyre wanted nothing more to do with your narcissistic ass,” Rhys tried to say as casually as he could.  “I mean you did cheat on her with another woman after all, and then up and left for… how many years has it been?  Two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay away from her, Knight.  She’s mine,” Tamlin growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feyre is her own person and if she wants to be with you then she is more than capable of making that decision on her own.  Why she would want to be with you I have no idea, but I think Feyre darling has more discerning taste now.”  Tamlin went to come closer to Rhys but he wagged a finger at Tamlin, “Ah-ah-ah, we’re in public Thorn.  We wouldn’t the people to learn of your nasty temper now would we?”  Rhys would love nothing more than to see Tamlin’s public image to come down and for the world to learn what he truly was, but he was going to bide his time.  He wanted Tamlin’s demise to be so spectacular that there would be no coming back from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tamlin backed off, “Stay away from Feyre, Knight.  I’m warning you.”  He then turned on his heel and stalked back down the aisle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Asshole,” Rhys muttered under his breath before finishing up what he had been doing before he had been so rudely interrupted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The gym smelled of sweat and disinfectant.  Nuala and Cerridwen were in the ring with Azriel as they went over moves with him.  The twins had started the gym years ago and had known Azriel when they were on the streets together.  They had been adopted by a family that had been close with Adeena before her passing and still saw Azriel at school.  Rhys had accepted them as his sisters as well, the twins were quiet but fiercely protective of those they considered family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian and Rhys were both working out with others in the gym as Azriel prepared for his upcoming fight.  “Should we invite the girls?”  Cassian asked as he pounded away on the punching bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind bringing Feyre along and I’m sure you would love to have Nesta by your side.  But do you think that Az would want Elain seeing him possibly get the shit beat out of him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard that!”  Azriel called over to the two of them, he had stopped to get some water and take a short break.  “And we can ask them if it’s something they want to do.  El might not be into it, she doesn’t seem like the type that likes physical violence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“El,” Cassian said.  “You hear that, Rhys?  He calls her ‘El’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off, Cass.  As if you and Nesta aren’t any better.  Do you want to tell us about what happened on your date the other night?  You came home pretty happy,”  Azriel fired back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys turned to his brother, “Did something happen on your date that you’re just not telling us about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had a nice time,” Cassian said, glancing between his two brothers.  “But nothing happened, I bought her a book she really wanted, we flirted a little.  Other than that there’s not much to report on.”  He walked over and took a seat on the bench.  “She’s been kinda quiet since it happened.  I keep thinking that maybe I came off too strong or maybe I did something that scared her….  I don’t know, but she hasn’t talked to me since.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sensing that his brother didn’t want to talk further about his success or failure at wooing Nesta, Rhys cut in, “Well a little birdie told me that our dear Az kissed Elain on the cheek the other night when he brought her home.”  Rhys had been holding onto that for nearly a week and had been waiting for the right moment to bring it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sly grin spread across Cassian’s face, “You casanova!”  He stood and walked over to the ring, “Why the hell didn’t you tell us?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because it’s none of your business whether or not Elain and I kissed,” Azriel fired back.  “Plus I knew the two of you would make a big deal out of it and I didn’t want to hear any of your smart comments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are the three of you going to stop gossiping anytime soon?”  Nuala shot at them.  “We would like to make sure Azriel is fully ready for his fight this Friday.”  The twins were standing in matching positions, their hands on their hips and glaring at the three men.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t over,” Cassian said as he pointed at Azriel and backed away from the ring.  “I want details.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re worse than, Mor,” Azriel complained as he turned back to the twins to continue his workout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once each of them were done and had hit the showers they continued their discussions on whether or not they would invite the Acherons to Azriel’s tournament.  “There’s no harm in inviting them,” Rhys shrugged.  “It’s not as if they have to accept and if they don’t it’s not going to hurt my feelings.  MMA is not for everyone and I would understand especially if Elain didn’t want to see Azriel fighting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think she’d look at me differently?  I haven’t exactly told her about this little hobby of mine,” Azriel said sheepishly.  “What if she thinks I’m violent because of it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just because you fight in a ring doesn’t make you a violent person, Az,” Cassian said, his usual teasing tone nowhere to be heard.  “Talk to her and see what she says, and explain how you got into it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cass is right, I’m sure she’ll understand,” Rhys patted his brother’s shoulder.  “Why don’t you go call her now and talk to her.  I’m sure that’ll make you feel better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel nodded and walked off, his shoulders tense as he disappeared deeper into their house.  “What do you want to bet Elain is going to surprise him and actually want to come?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Twenty,” Rhys said.  “Should we loop Amren and Mor in on this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already did, they both bet forty that she wouldn’t want to come,” Cassian explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect,” Rhys grinned.  “I have a feeling though that Elain Acheron will be too curious not to come.”  The brothers shared sly looks and went to invite their respective sisters to the match.  Both curious to learn of the middle sister’s answer to their brother’s question.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter is one of my favorites I've written so far.  <br/>Also, I hope all of you have a nice Thanksgiving if you celebrate it.  Normally I do a Chandler Bing Thanksgiving, but this year my ma said she wanted to do the whole nine yards.  I'll post the next chapter in a couple of days.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Fifteen ~ Elain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“An MMA fight?”  Elain asked.  Azriel had surprised her by calling and when she heard the reason why she had to admit that she was completely shocked by the offer.  “Isn’t that mixed martial arts?  And isn’t it kinda violent?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel was quiet for a moment, and Elain could almost feel his hesitation.  “It is violent, yes….  And I have sustained injuries before.  If you don’t want to come I’ll understand,” she could hear a little disappointment in his voice and she bit her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are your brothers going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes as well as Amren and Mor, and my brothers should be inviting your sisters so you won’t be alone,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she said.  “I’ll go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”  His voice instantly changed from one of disappointment to one filled with a little bit of excitement.  “Great!  I’ll call the arena and reserve you a seat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Friday night came and Rhys and Cassian came to get Elain and her sisters.  They informed them that Azriel would already be at the arena preparing for his fight.  “He… he won’t be hurt too badly will he?”  Elain asked shyly from the back.  Feyre and Nesta knew how worried she was for Azriel’s safety and both of them took one of her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably not,” Cassian said from the passenger seat.  “Az knows what he’s doing and he tries to make it out without too many injuries.  I think the worst he’s ever had was a broken finger?”  He looked to Rhys for confirmation that he was right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He had a broken rib one time,” Rhys said and Elain noticed him cringing just as Cassian smacked him.  “Sorry,” he said a bit sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain was suddenly growing worried about what she was about to witness.  “I don’t think this was a good idea,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll be fine tonight, the guy he’s going up against is a friend,” Cassian told her.  “They tend to go a bit easier on one another.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That still didn’t help Elain that much, but at least she knew the fight might be a little friendlier than normal.  In order to prepare better for this evening, she had watched some clips on YouTube of fights and that had done nothing to ease her nerves.  She just kept praying that she wasn’t going to see Azriel knocked out and bleeding on the mat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made it to the arena and found Amren and Mor waiting for them.  Mor was wearing what appeared to be a homemade shirt to show support for Azriel with it saying, “Azriel’s #1 Fan!” on the front.  Amren looked as impeccable as ever even though she too had been forced into one of the homemade shirts to show support for her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re here!”  Mor said excitedly as she handed three shirts to the girls.  “I made these last night for you all.  The boys absolutely refuse to wear them, but I figured you all might be a little more open to show your support for our boy Az.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta was the only one hesitant to put the shirt on and Amren commiserate with her, “Just wear it and you won’t have to listen to Mor bitch all evening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard that Amren!”  Mor huffed before making her way to the front doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain felt a little out of place as her sisters paired off with Rhys and Cassian, Mor and Amren talking amongst themselves.  Rhys looked back at Elain, “Do you want to go see Azriel before his match?  One of the security guards can take you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could I?”  She asked, a little bit of hopefulness rising in her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys nodded and waved one of the guards over, he told him what Elain wanted and he happily escorted her below to the locker rooms.  “Mr. Knight, there’s an Elain Acheron here to see you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened and Azriel appeared before her wearing a black robe, his hair tied back.  “Thanks, Eris.  Could you wait here until we’re done and then escort Elain to her seat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing,” the guard said before stationing himself outside the door until Elain returned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel pulled her inside and shut the door softly behind them.  He pulled her into his arms and she instantly relaxed, burying her face into his chest.  “I’m scared,” she admitted to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”  He murmured against her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled away and looked up into his hazel eyes, a strand of hair had fallen free and was in his eyes, but she didn’t move to brush it away, she merely clung to the robe too afraid her legs may give out from how weak they felt.  “Because Rhys said you’ve broken a rib before, and I saw these clips on YouTube of how violent this can be.  I just don’t want to see you hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled, smiling down at her, “I’ll be all right, Elain, I promise.  Helion and I are old friends and we don’t tend to be as rough on one another as we are against opponents we don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what they were saying, but that still doesn’t mean I’m not worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled her back in and hugged her a little tighter, “Everything will be fine, Elain.  I’m glad you came, I was a little worried that you wouldn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because of the violence?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he said.  “I’ll tell you about how I got into it later.  But right now you should go to your seat.  The match will be starting soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” and before she could overthink she reached up and kissed his cheek.  “For good luck,” she told him with a small smile and then hurried out of the room asking Eris to escort her to her seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta had made sure to order Elain water and they asked her how Azriel was doing.  She told them that he seemed to be okay just before the announcer came on the speakers and said the match was about to begin.  Helion was introduced first and the crowd began to cheer.  He came out swaggering toward the ring, one fist in the air.  Then it was Azriel’s turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain held her breath as she watched Azriel emerge from the locker rooms, his robe now gone and she saw his chest and tattoos in all their glory.  The swirling designs she had seen extended down his back and appeared to make wings.  Nesta nudged her, a smirk on her face and Elain quickly snapped her mouth shut as she realized she had been gawking at Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The referee went over the rules quickly, knowing the two men already knew them but just wanted to reiterate what was expected.  The match began and Elain gripped Nesta’s hand as the two men began circling one another.  Helion was the first to strike, but Azriel easily dodged it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain wanted to look away, but couldn’t.  Her eyes were locked on the ring praying that she wasn’t about to witness anything too horrific.  Then she saw Helion’s fist go towards Azriel’s face and the hit connected.  Elain felt herself gasp and noticed blood trickling from a cut on Azriel’s cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hand gripped Nesta’s tightly as the crowd cheered for Helion, some booing in support for Azriel.  Elain found that she couldn’t join her friends in the chorus of boos.  The fight went on, Azriel and Helion both taking hits and sustaining some minor injuries.  Azriel however was the one to come out on top.  The referee held his arm in the air and then the two men shook hands and even hugged for a moment before returning to their respective changing rooms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys told everyone that they would meet Azriel by his car and figure out where to go from there.  Elain followed them wondering how bad Azriel’s wounds were and making them worse in her mind than they probably were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a few minutes but Azriel emerged from the building laughing with Helion before going their separate ways.  Mor was the first one to congratulate Azriel as she rushed over and flung herself into his arms.  He groaned as she hit a few tender spots.  “Easy Mor, I did take a few good jabs tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t help it!  You’re going on to the next round!”  She yelled happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next round?  Elain didn’t know if she could watch another match.  The others walked forward and congratulated him, Elain hanging back.  Azriel noticed and moved over to her, “So was it as bad as you were picturing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she pouted.  He arched an eyebrow and she sighed, “No, but I was still worried the entire time.”  She noticed the cut on his cheek, it was swollen slightly, but the blood had stopped flowing.  “What now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m going to go home,” he said.  He looked back at the others, “What about you all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going for dinner,” Cassian said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elain are you coming with us?”  Feyre asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, “I’m going to go with Az.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, well we’ll see you back home then,” Feyre smiled and waved goodbye as she followed the others back to Rhys’s car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain held out her hand to Azriel, “Keys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”  He looked startled at her demand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved her fingers in a ‘gimme’ motion, “Keys, I’m taking you to my place.  I have some salves that will help with the wounds and bruises.  I’m going to help patch you up that way you won’t be as sore tomorrow.  And if you think I’m going to let you drive for one second then you’re dead wrong mister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled as he dug around in his pocket looking for his car keys.  When he had them he gently placed them in Elain’s waiting hand and headed for the passenger seat.  “I hope you know how to drive a stick,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain smirked as she rounded the car toward the driver’s seat.  It was one of the few things her father had taught her how to do when she was learning to drive.  His old car wasn’t automatic and all three of the Acheron sisters had learned to drive using a stick.  Azriel watched as she got behind the wheel of his 1969 Dodge Charger with ease and confidence he hadn’t seen in her before.  She wasn’t going to lie, it was a little exhilarating to be doing this in front of Azriel.  She wanted to impress him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engine rumbled to life and off they went.  It had been some time since she had been behind the wheel of a classic like this, but it felt just as natural as driving her little VW Bug.  “My father taught me,” she said when she felt his questioning gaze.  “It was one of the few things he did teach us after our mother died.  His car wasn’t automatic and to be honest, I kinda miss driving a stick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look like a natural behind that wheel,” he told her.  “It’s kinda sexy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt her cheeks warm and she glanced at him, at the way his eyes were watching her.  She bit her lip and focused on the road, not wanting to wreck the car before they could get back to her place.  The rest of the drive was quiet, not uncomfortable, both of them just too lost in their own thoughts to speak to the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they returned back to her house it was dark and probably would be for a while if the others decided they wanted to party for a bit after their dinner.  Elain led Azriel up the stairs to her room and quickly disappeared into the bathroom to get the first aid kit and her salves.  She had made most of these from her plants and used them anytime one of them had gotten injured.  They worked like a charm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to take your shirt off,” she said trying not to get too flustered by the heated look he gave her.  “Behave,” she said and he chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am,” and took his shirt off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain could already see the bruise forming on his skin and quickly got to work.  He flinched a little when she touched a particularly tender spot, but for the most part he stayed still.  She was lost in her work making sure she covered each wound with the correct salve.  Then she moved to the cut on his cheek.  She cleaned it with the antiseptic before placing the salve on it.  “There you go,” her voice soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their eyes met and Elain realized just how alone they were.  She stood abruptly and went to take her stuff back into the bathroom.  The sound of running water filled her ears as she worked to get the salve off her fingers.  Her blood was racing in her ears the only other thing she could hear.  Azriel was alone in her room, on her bed, and her sisters were nowhere to be seen.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You gonna stand there all night and waste your water or are you going to come out?”  She whipped around to see Azriel leaning against the doorframe, still missing his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain shut the water off and dried her hands looking back at Azriel.  “I’m just a little nervous,” she admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gently took one of her wrists in his hand and kissed her palm, “Why?  Talk to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were moving back into her room, his hand still wrapped around her wrist.  “We’re all alone and I like you a lot,” she felt like her heart was getting ready to pound its way right out of her chest.  “And I hope you like me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cupped her face with his free hand, “I like you a lot, Elain Acheron.  More than I think I’ve liked anyone in a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was too much for her poor heart, “And so I’m just a little nervous by what could transpire tonight.”  She was trying to avoid using the word ‘sex’ for fear she would actually die of embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing’s going to happen that you don’t want to happen.  If you asked me to leave right now I’d put my shirt back on and walk out the door.  If you want me to just spend the night then I’ll spend the night and we can talk or do whatever it is you want to do.  I just want to spend time with you,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warmth spread through Elain at those words and she offered him a smile, “You know you still haven’t given me a proper kiss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and shook his head, “How could I possibly forget?”  He sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled her down so that she was straddling his lap.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both closed the distance between one another and Elain wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands went into her hair.  His lips were soft and he gently kissed her back at first, she loved how he was taking his time with her, trying to savor this moment.  Her lips parted slightly allowing him to deepen the kiss and drawing a moan from her which only spurred him on.  She had never been kissed like this before, Graysen’s kisses had been awkward and timid.  Azriel was sure and confident.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she should have been intimidated that he had more experience than she did, but at that moment she couldn’t have cared less.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His skin was warm to her touch as her fingers dug into the muscles of his back, her nails leaving little red lines.  His hands had moved from her hair to her hips, his fingers digging in slightly and he held her close.  In a moment of boldness, she broke away and lifted her shirt above her head to reveal the light pink, lacy bra she had chosen earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw his cheeks darken a bit and she did a mental happy dance knowing she could fluster him.  “I figured I’d even the score a bit,” she said and his eyes trailed back up her body to meet her gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of his fingers trailed up her spine causing her to shiver and it stopped when he got to the clasp of her bra, “Tell me what you want me to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take it off,” she instructed and a moment later her bra joined her shirt in their growing pile of clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel took his time worshipping Elain, trailing kisses across her skin and seeing which spots drew out her moans and soft gasps.  Being with Azriel was not like it had been with any of her previous relationships.  With her previous boyfriends, it felt more like a chore and something they had to do.  But Azriel made her toes curl and her eyes roll back into her head.  For the first time, she understood what her friends had talked about when they talked about their best lovers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he had finished he disappeared into her bathroom and returned to help clean up and then slipped under the covers with her.  He held her close and kissed the top of her head.  She and Azriel were both fast asleep when her sisters came home an hour later, giggling against one another.  Both of them had noticed Azriel’s car still sitting in the driveway and knew he was still here.  Neither one could wait until tomorrow when they could bug their sister for details.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fun Fact about me: 1969 Dodge Chargers are my favorite cars.  Also, did y'all hear that Sarah said Azriel was a freak in the sheets?  I had to take a moment to compose myself after I read that because gods help me if he gets a solo book or a book where he's a main character (praying we do because I love him).  Hope you enjoyed it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Sixteen ~ Azriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>For a moment Azriel was confused when he woke up the following morning.  It took him a moment to remember that he had spent the night at Elain’s and all the things that had happened since his fight.  He then realized that he wasn’t as sore as he usually was and made a mental note to ask Elain for those salves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced down and saw her still asleep beside him, one of her hands splayed across his chest, her breathing even and calm.  He watched her for a few minutes completely entranced by the woman laying beside him.  From downstairs he heard the sounds of one of the other Acheron sisters making breakfast and knew that there were definitely going to be questions when they emerged from Elain's room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He carefully reached over the side of the bed where his jeans were resting on the floor and rooted around for his phone.  He discovered that he had several missed texts from his brothers and Mor.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Cassian: </b>
  <span>Are you coming home tonight?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys: </b>
  <span>Please respond to Cassian.  I’m the DD tonight and I’m tired of hearing his drunken rambles about where you are.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>Are you staying with Elain????</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>Rhys says that you’re still not home yet</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next one was from Mor, but it had been sent that morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>Sooooo how was your evening? ;)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a little sigh and knew that he was going to be ambushed when he got home.  Mor would probably be over there right now waiting for his inevitable return.  He wondered if Elain would face the same type of inquisition that he was going to get.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt her shift and closed out of his messages.  She blinked a couple of times and then she seemed to realize that she was not alone.  When she looked up she noticed that Azriel was there with her.  “Good morning,” he rasped, his already deep voice just a few octaves lower than normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning,” she said as she snuggled closer.  “Did you sleep okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I slept fine, and you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same, someone tired me out,” she bit her lip, a heated look on her face causing him to chuckle and roll over on top of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?  I hope that’s a good thing,” he murmured as he bent to kiss her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggled, “It is.”  She brought his lips back up to hers.  “Do you wanna take a shower?”  She asked in between kisses and Azriel was more than happy to agree to that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their water had turned cold by the time the two of them finally got out of the shower.  He put his clothes on from the day before and headed down to the kitchen with Elain.  Feyre was already eating her breakfast of pancakes with a side of fruit.  She looked up and grinned at Elain when the two of them entered the kitchen.  “Good morning you two,” Azriel could tell she was holding back for her sister's sake, but the moment he was no longer in their house Feyre was going to pounce.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning Feyre,” there was an edge to Elain’s voice that was telling her little sister to behave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning,” Azriel said.  He then bent down and brushed a kiss against Elain’s cheek, “I need to head out.  If I don’t leave now Mor and Cass will probably send a search party for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you out,” she said as she slipped her hand into his and followed him out to the car.  “I had fun last night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned against his car and pulled her in close, “So did I.  And maybe one day I could come over and help you with your plants again.  Make a day out of it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face brightened at the thought of spending more time with him, “I’d love that.  Just let me know when you’re available.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His phone buzzed and he sighed, he already knew who it would be from before he pulled it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor: </b>
  <span>Azriel Knight, where are you???</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave Elain an apologetic look, “They’re getting impatient.”  He bent down and gave her a lingering kiss, one that made him want to stay just a little longer.  But he knew that if he didn’t get his ass home soon then Mor was going to come and find him.  “I’ll see you later,” he murmured as he reluctantly released her from his grasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waved as he backed out of her driveway and headed home.  He had the window rolled down and was grinning like a fool.  He won his match against Helion and kissed and made love to Elain all in one night.  Life was feeling pretty good right now.  Even Mor’s and Cassian’s inquisition couldn’t sour his mood at the moment.    </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as he walked through the door of his home Cassian and Mor were there.  “SO?!”  Mor practically shouted.  “Did you and Elain, you know?”  She wiggled her eyebrows at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel pushed past them, “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, Morrigan.  And my morning would have been better if someone hadn’t been bugging me to death for details.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor was quick to follow, “Come on just confirm what I’m thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mor,” Rhys called from the kitchen.  “Leave poor Azriel alone.  We all know that he’s tightlipped about these things.  Just let him enjoy his post-coital bliss, you know he doesn’t get it that often.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel flipped him off and clamored up his stairs so he could change into a fresh pair of clothes.  He could hear the two of them still discussing it as he made it to his room and knew that once Cassian joined in there would be no stopping them.  When he arrived for breakfast Cassian was there and raring to go.  He let them have their fun but knew the second one of them came out saying they were seeing one of the sisters then he wasn't going to go easy on them and trying to get information about how their love life was going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Azriel was standing behind Elain, placing kisses on her neck as she tried to focus on her plants.  She was giggling as his lips trailed over the sensitive parts of her neck.  He couldn’t help it though, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself and Elain was enjoying the attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned so that she could look at him, “You’re supposed to be helping me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am helping,” he murmured against her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to look serious, but the wide smile on her face gave her away, “I can’t focus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He braced his hands on either side of her and trapped her.  “Then my evil plan is working,” he said with a sly smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She playfully smacked him on the chest, “You’re incorrigible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only with you,” he said before kissing her, any of her protests about him distracting her from her work dying on her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lifted her so that she was now sitting on the table she used as her work station, her legs hooked around his waist and her hands went to slip under his shirt, but the door to the greenhouse opening stopped them both.  “Well I sure did come at a bad time,” an unfamiliar voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain let out an excited squeal and quickly untangled herself from Azriel and rushed to the red-haired man that had just entered the greenhouse.  Azriel was staring at him curiously.  He seemed familiar, but Azriel couldn’t place from where.  It wasn’t until Elain introduced them that he knew exactly who the man was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Az this is my friend Lucien,” she quickly made her way back to Azriel.  “Lucien this is Azriel, my….”  She trailed off as she realized she wasn’t sure what she should call Azriel.  They were friends, sure, but they were also a little bit more than that.  Though neither one of them had put a label on what they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel stuck out his hand, “Boyfriend.  I’m her boyfriend… if that’s what Elain wants.”  He glanced at Elain to see if this bothered her, but she was beaming at him happily.  He had wanted to ask her if she wanted to put a label on what they were, Azriel more of a one-woman type of guy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucien whistled, “I leave for a few weeks and you’ve gone and got yourself a boyfriend, El?  What else have you been leaving out of your texts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not much, it’s more of a recent development,” she said truthfully.  “I didn’t even realize you were back in town.  When were you going to tell me this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today,” he said.  “I wanted to surprise you, but I think I should have called first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain waved a hand dismissively, “It’s fine.  Azriel and I are supposed to be filming anyway.”  She shot him a look at him and he merely grinned, not sorry at all for distracting her from her task at hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saw the videos, let me guess she’s not going to be playing any horror games,” Lucien turned his attention back to Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we’ve been playing </span>
  <em>
    <span>Animal Crossing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  I wasn’t going to force Elain to play something that she wouldn’t be okay with,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was still trying to figure Lucien Vanserra out.  Azriel knew that he had become friends with Tamlin after the accident that had left him and his brothers without a mother or sister.  Az wondered if he knew the truth behind his friend or what he was doing in Elain’s presence.  Maybe Feyre had introduced them, but he wasn’t about to ask right at this moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain must have sensed his swirling thoughts because she slipped her hand into his and he looked at her, his expression softening.  “Lucien and Tamlin are no longer friends,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucien glanced between the two of them, “Do you have a problem with Tamlin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Azriel said curtly.  “And I’m not going to go into my reasons, but if you’re no longer friends with the tool then I guess you can’t be too bad.  Especially if you’re friends with the Acheron sisters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we all go out for some lunch?"  Elain suggested.  "Lucien, you can go get Feyre.  I’m sure you’ll be happy to see you and will want to spend some time with you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucien agreed with Elain and headed back inside the Acheron house to go get Feyre.  Elain explained to Azriel that Feyre had been friends with him first, and Lucien had been one of the ones to help Feyre get out.  She explained that that was why Lucien was no longer friends with Tamlin.  One because he didn’t want to see his supposed friend do that to another woman, and two because Feyre had been kind to him in ways that Tamlin hadn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel decided that if Lucien was big enough to see that his friend wasn’t someone he should hang around with then he was okay in his book.  He still wasn’t going to trust him a hundred percent, but if Elain and Feyre trusted him then maybe he could as well.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed it!  I've got so many ideas coming to me for other fics, one that is solely Elriel based.  Idk when I'm going to have any of them up, but I'm working on them slowly but surely.  I think I want to complete this one before diving into more, but we'll see.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Seventeen ~ Nesta</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been a few days since Nesta’s date with Cassian.  She wasn’t even sure if she could consider it a date.  Cassian had said “it’s a date”, but had he meant it literally?  Is that what he wanted?  To date her?  She didn’t know what to think or how to feel.  When he had gifted her with the special edition of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clockwork Angel </span>
  </em>
  <span>she had been so overwhelmed with emotions.  She could have kissed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That thought scared her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That had been a moment of weakness and she didn’t want to think about what it meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No.  She was going to keep Cassian at arm's length as she had been this entire time.  No more thoughts of kissing Cassian.  She swore she wouldn’t let her feelings get the best of her and she wasn’t going to ruin their friendship with some romantic entanglement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now she was sitting in her reading room with the door locked and her phone off.  The night of the match was the last time she had talked to Cassian.  They had danced together on the dancefloor and for a moment Nesta let herself get lost in the feeling of his hands on her hips, swaying to the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had almost kissed her then, but she had quickly turned her head and pretended like she hadn’t noticed what he had been trying to do.  Part of her screamed at herself for not letting the kiss happen, the other part was relieved.  It seemed as though her head and her heart were warring with one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried focusing on her books but her mind would always drift away from the story and back to Cassian.  The special edition of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clockwork Angel </span>
  </em>
  <span>was staring at her from across the room.  She still couldn’t believe he had bought it for her.  The darker part of her mind had said he only did it to impress her.  The other part said that it had just been a kind gesture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared at it now, the red cover bright against the black of her shelves.  She buried her face in her hands and let out a frustrated groan.  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she cursed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the open window, she heard Elain giggling and jealousy flooded her mind.  Of course, Elain was happy with Azriel, of course, she hadn’t let her fears get in her way.  Elain and Feyre, the two that had been hurt the most by men, seemed to be doing just fine letting in the two Knight brothers while she was left floundering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a knock on the door followed by, “Nesta, can we talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta hesitantly opened the door to let Feyre in.  The two had never been super close, but she knew her younger sister cared for her.  “What did you need?”  Her voice held a note of stress that Feyre instantly picked up on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been acting weird since you met with Cassian and especially since we went clubbing the other night,” she took a seat on the couch and patted the seat beside her.  “I know we’ve never been close and I know we clash a lot, but I still care about you and I want to know what’s wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta took a seat beside Feyre, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them.  “Nothing’s wrong, I’m just busy,” but even she didn’t believe that lie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre hesitated for a moment trying to find the right words to say.  “I know you feel like you need to protect me and Elain seeing as how you’re our older sister… but do you think our traumas are affecting you too much?  You don’t date, you’re standoffish with men, and you were ready to chomp Cassian’s head off at one point.”  Nesta glanced at her sister who sighed.  “No judgment, but what’s holding you back from being with Cassian?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta hugged herself a bit tighter, “How can you and Elain move on like you do?  Tamlin… we all know what Tamlin almost did.  Graysen cheated on Elain and broke off their engagement.  So how after all that heartache and pain can you all let in Rhys and Azriel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre considered her sister’s question, “I always wanted what Mom and Dad had.  Before Mom died they were so happy, and as a little girl I dreamed of finding that.  Tamlin scared me, he bruised and broke a part of me, and I’ve slowly been piecing myself back together.  Elain knows that not all men are going to be a Graysen and she’s more careful in how she picks her dates now.  Azriel and her seem to connect, ya know?”  She shrugged her shoulders, “And well Rhys makes me feel alive again.  He’s so gentle.  When you called him and told him I was having a bad day he gave me the option to tell him my story.  And after he took me to this spot where we could see the night sky together.  We just laid there in silence and watched the stars.  There was no pressure, no expectations.  It was just us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre shook her head and held up her hand, “You can’t carry our pain for us.  You can try and we can come to you and tell you things, but you cannot take our pain for us.  Our traumas are not yours.  You can’t let our pain hold you back from being happy.”  She gestured to Nesta’s books.  “I know you want what you read about, but if you want that then you have to go out and let yourself experience it.  No more hiding behind the pages of books, Nesta.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the youngest you’re not supposed to be giving me advice,” Nesta said with a small, tense smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre chuckled and pulled her sister in for a hug, “Just because I’m younger doesn’t mean that I’m any less wise than you or Elain.”  She picked Nesta’s phone off the table in front of them and handed it to her.  “Call him and tell him you want to take things slow.  Tell him your fears, but don’t ghost him.  He doesn’t deserve that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With those final words, she stood and left her sister alone to figure out her next moves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t called Cassian or sent him a message.  Instead, she sent Rhys a text asking him where Cassian was.  If she was going to have this conversation with him then it needed to be in person.  She didn’t want to have it over text where her words could be taken entirely out of context or over a phone call where she couldn’t see his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, Nesta wanted to be standing in front of him when she said her piece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys said that he was at their house in his room either reading or playing a game for his channel and promised to let Cassian know that she was on her way.  Butterflies filled her stomach as she drove there and tried to figure out what she wanted to say to Cassian first.  And when they arrived they only grew bigger and worse when she saw Cassian standing on the porch waiting for her.  His arms crossed, a scowl on his face.  He had a right to be mad at her, she had practically ghosted him and now wanted to talk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cassian, I--” She started to say, but was caught off when he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want to know why?  I thought we were friends and then we had a nice time the other night at the club and the bookstore - or at least I did - and then you practically ghost me.  If you don’t want to be around me then just come out and say it so I can move on and pretend none of this ever happened,” there was hurt in his voice and Nesta felt her guilt grow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll explain but could we please just go inside?”  She glanced around not knowing if a nosy neighbor or someone with a camera was watching them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and led her inside and up to his room.  It was clean and the wall was lined with what few books he had along with DVDs and video games.  There was a poster on the wall of a peaceful mountainside cabin with snow coating the ground and trees.  A camera on a tripod was situated in the corner with some other photography equipment.  And then there was his bed, it was big and spacious with a black comforter on the top as well as three pillows with what seemed to be star flecked pillowcases.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It screamed Cassian, but a different side she hadn’t let herself see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian sat in the chair at his desk and motioned for her to take a position on his bed.  He didn’t say anything, he just watched her as she made her way from the door to the bed.  She could feel his frustration and hurt rolling off him in waves and she cringed inwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she was comfortable on the bed she said, “I guess the first thing I owe you is an apology….  I know cutting you off wasn’t the right thing to do, and I’m not going to make excuses for it.  All I can do is explain where I was coming from and hope that you’ll be able to forgive me for it.”  She looked at him, his hazel eyes still locked on her, his jaw tense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me why.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it started with my parents,” she said.  “Watching my mom get sick and slowly get worse and worse as time went on, and then seeing how my dad handled it scared me.  I didn’t want to see someone I loved go through that.  Elain and Feyre didn’t take it to heart quite as I had.  They still wanted love, they wanted a family.  Then Elain got engaged and then was cheated on and broken up with.  Feyre was abused.  And it scared me even more.  What if that happened to me?  What if I let someone in and then they do something like that to me or they get sick?  I was always the strong sister, I was the oldest and had a duty to protect my sisters.  I don’t let people in easily.  And I got scared when we started growing closer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not just tell me all of this?”  His voice still held an edge of anger to it, but he also just sounded genuinely curious.  “I would have understood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, I thought that maybe I could do this, that I could move past my trauma and my sisters’ trauma as well and just let you in.  When I’m with you all my guards seem to come down and you see right through me.  You gave me something that I’ve wanted for a long time and you didn’t even need to be asked to buy it for me.  You did it because you knew it would make me happy.  And for that moment I didn’t have the burdens of my sisters on my shoulders.  I was just a girl and you were just a boy, and then reality came crashing down around me once more and I got scared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian considered her words and she felt her palms begin to grow clammy.  She wondered what he was going to tell her and if he would understand.  “So where do we go from here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we just take things slowly?  Be friends for now and see where things go?  I can’t give you anything else until I work through my own shit and I don’t want to hold you back.  I don’t know if I can commit to you yet and if you find someone else then that’s my cross to bear.  I don’t expect you to wait for me, and I wouldn’t ask you to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated the hurt look on his face and knew that his feelings went a little deeper than friendship for her.  “Fine,” his answer surprised her.  “But I’m still mad at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understandable,” she said.  “Thank you for hearing me out and being understanding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged his shoulders, “That’s what friends are for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t stay long after that.  Cassian offered to go get lunch with her or maybe some coffee, but she felt like he was only saying that to be polite.  He needed space to process what she had said to him and to figure things out for himself.  She promised that she would get lunch with him later in the week and made her excuses to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Telling him that they had to take things slow was the right decision.  She needed space to sort through her feelings and work through the blocks that she had.  She needed to get a feel for Cassian as her friend before she rushed into anything else.  Having him understand and say that they could be friends made it easier to stomach.  There would be no pressure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what if he found someone before she was ready?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gripped her steering wheel tighter and shook her head.  She wasn’t going to think about that now.  She just prayed she wasn’t going to get her heartbroken.  And she would only have herself to blame if she did.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I posted this on my blog on Tumblr (batboyazriel) and I'll ask y'all here: If I wrote a story where Rhys's sister had been kidnapped by the Spring Court and not killed and it showed her journey (set after ACOTAR) who would you want her with: Azriel, Cassian, someone else in the ACOTAR universe, or an original character?  Also, would you want them to be mates or no?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Eighteen ~ Cassian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The gym was busier than usual when Cassian arrived.  He didn’t usually come at this time of the evening, but he had some excess steam that he needed to blow off and this was the perfect place to do that.  Nesta had left his house a few hours prior and he had been feeling restless since then.  He was happy that she still wanted to be friends and could understand not wanting to be hurt, but that still didn’t mean that he also wasn’t hurt when she wasn’t speaking to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost thought that he had done something to anger her or that she realized that she was too good for him.  Nesta was well-read and worldly and he was just a kid from the streets that had been given a shot at a better life.  His dad never cared about him and his mom had died in childbirth due to complications.  He had one single photo of her hidden away in his room that he sometimes would look at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bouncing from foster home to foster home until he finally ran away and lived on the streets until Adeena had found him had been tough.  He went hungry or was cold often.  There was a nice old lady who would let him use her sleeping bag on the cold nights, but then one day she disappeared as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Nesta had ghosted him it had felt like losing yet another person all over again.  And all those old fears and insecurities came racing to the surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing her today had helped lessen the stress some, but that dark part of his mind was still lurking there, waiting for him to let his guard down again so it could strike where it hurt the most.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello handsome,” a female voice purred from behind him.  He closed his eyes and prayed that it wasn’t who he thought it was.  When he turned he knew the gods had abandoned him because Ianthe stood before him, a seductive smile on her lips.  “Fancy running into you here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt himself tense as her eyes traveled over his body in his workout attire.  “Yeah, what are the chances of that?”  Seriously, what were the chances of this?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smirked obviously sensing his unease with her, “I didn’t catch your name last time.  I’m Ianthe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t want to offer up his name, but said, “Cassian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you here by yourself?”  She looked around as if she were searching for Nesta.  “Where’s your girlfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian prayed the earth would just swallow him whole so he could get away from this woman.  “She’s at home,” he started to back away from Ianthe.  “Listen, it was nice running into you and all, but I want to get to my workout.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you around, Cassian,” her voice grated on his nerves, but he merely ignored her and headed for the locker room to drop his stuff off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All through his workout, he could feel her eyes on him and he prayed that she would leave soon.  Much to his chagrin, she stayed the entire time he was there.  He ignored her the entire time and when he finally got ready to leave he was almost out the door when she appeared at his side once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This woman couldn’t take a hint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re Cassian Knight, right?”  She asked him as they stepped outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” his answer was brief and clipped, he hoped it conveyed that he really didn’t care what she had to say to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed his arm and caused him to pause, he looked at her hand and then back to her.  “You also do photography on the side, or have you given that up since you’ve blown up on YouTube?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before the channel had grown Cassian had taken photos for various people and magazines.  It brought in extra cash and he loved doing it honestly.  Now he only really did it on occasions or for himself.  “I still do it sometimes, but not as often as I once did.  Why?”  He had a feeling he knew what she wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m hosting a photo shoot for my new fashion line that’s coming out and I’ve been on the hunt for a good photographer.  Seeing as how we’ve run into one another twice now I’m going to take it as a sign that some higher power wants us running in the same circle.  I’ll pay you handsomely of course, so will you consider being my photographer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I think about it?  I need to check my schedule and I need further details from you as well,” he told her.  He had no intentions of helping her, but he didn’t want to flat out refuse and have her going around spreading rumors about him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!”  She said excitedly.  She reached into her purse and pulled out her business card.  It was in blue with an artistic rendition of her face on it as well as her name and contact information.  “If you need to reach me my numbers are on there, and I can email you later with more details on the shoot and stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great,” he stuck the card in his pocket.  “Have a good night, Ianthe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too!”  She called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Cassian arrived back at his house Rhys asked if the gym had helped him work off steam.  He rolled his eyes, “I wish.  Ianthe was there, she figured out who I was and asked me to photograph her latest fashion line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys seemed just as disgusted as Cassian had been feeling ever since he had run into the other woman in the gym.  “You’re not going to do it, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t planning on it, but I told her I would look at my schedule and consider it.  I didn’t want to seem rude or anything like that and have her spreading rumors about me that weren’t true,” he told his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Smart move,” Rhys said.  “Ianthe is the type that would try to drag you down if you just flat out refused her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wanting to change the subject away from Ianthe he asked, “Is Az here or is he with Ellie tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s with Elain at her house.  I don’t know if he’s staying or if he’ll be home late, but he’ll probably be staying there since he can’t seem to keep his hands off of her.”  This wasn’t surprising to either of them.  Azriel seemed closed off, but he could be very affectionate with those he held dear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be in my room if you need me.  I think I’m going to stream for a while.”  Rhys said okay as Cassian headed for his room to set up for the stream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two hours later Cassian was playing some random game he had found on Steam and was answering questions his viewers sent in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Nessian186: </b>
  <span>Are you and Nesta together?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well Nessian186, Nesta and I are not together.  We’re just friends, and it’s still a very new friendship.  I enjoy her company though, she’s smart and funny.  She seems like she could be uptight, but she’s really not.  She’s just shy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>PrettyStars: </b>
  <span>What game are you going to have Nesta play for your end of the collaboration?  That’s still happening, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes PrettyStars, that’s still happening and I don’t know what I’m going to have her playing yet.  I think she might like an adventure game so maybe some </span>
  <em>
    <span>Assassin’s Creed </span>
  </em>
  <span>or </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zelda?  </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maybe even spring a horror game on her like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wick.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>RhysandsWife: </b>
  <span>Is there anyone else you would like to collab with?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not right now.  I’ve collabed with a lot of people in the past and right now I’m fine with where things are at.  I’ve actually been thinking about getting back into photography some.  Az has started MMA again more seriously after his trainers talked him into it.  Rhys is thinking of starting his own ventures, and to be honest I miss it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>SistersThree: </b>
  <span>You better not make me play a horror game!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chat went crazy when they realized that Nesta was there and watching Cassian’s stream.  Cassian tried to not let it show how excited he was that she was watching.  “Sweetheart, you are at my mercy with this.  You made me read </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Discovery of Witches </span>
  </em>
  <span>- which granted I loved - but this is my video and I can make you play whatever I want you to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>SistersThree: </b>
  <span>Cassian, I swear to God if you make me play something that’s going to give me nightmares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nesta, I saw your collection of horror books, you can’t fool me,” he grinned right at the camera to let her know he had her number.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>GoddessFashion: </b>
  <span>I want to know if you’ve thought any more about my offer to photograph my latest project? ~ Ianthe</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian couldn’t believe she was there too, he just couldn’t escape this woman tonight.  And knew she was only doing this to generate a buzz and force his hand.  “Still checking a few things over Ianthe, I’ll get back to you soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He became more subdued after the message from Ianthe, but he still put on a show for his fans so they wouldn’t ask questions.  A lot of them were excited at the thought of Cassian working with Ianthe.  He knew that she was very popular amongst the masses and he didn’t like that she had backed him into a corner like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Nesta: </b>
  <span>When were you going to tell me?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The text had come through not long after Ianthe’s question.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Cassian: </b>
  <span>She just cornered me at the gym tonight.  I got on the stream to try and blow off some steam and relax.  I told her I would think about it because I didn’t want to seem rude and have her pissed at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chat asked him who he was texting and he lied, “Az, he’s not here right now and he was just checking in.”  He flipped his phone over so he couldn’t see it anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ended the stream not long after that and ignored any more messages from Nesta for the evening.  He knew how she felt about Ianthe and he didn’t want to hear from her how he shouldn’t take the job and she was just trying to get into his pants.  He didn’t want her accusing him of hiding things from her when he wasn’t trying to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just wanted some space to clear his head. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've started my new story A Court of Darkness and Stars which follows Rhys' sister and takes place after ACOTAR.  She never died and has been captive in the Spring Court for centuries.  Also I know in this story her name is Farren, but I changed it to Asterin in A Court of Darkness and Stars.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Nineteen ~ Feyre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been nearly a week and a half since Feyre had uploaded the video saying that she needed to take some time for herself.  More articles were spreading and people were constantly tagging her in hate messages.  It hadn’t been a fun time for her and she stayed off of most of her social media accounts.  Then one day she had woken up and decided that enough was enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t going to let Tamlin have the satisfaction of tearing her down like this.  Of running her off the internet and letting his obsessive fans control the narrative around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?”  Elain asked when Feyre told them her plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it’s time and I’m not going to let Tamlin keep controlling the story like this.  I can’t take it anymore and I’m not going to let him win like this.”  She glanced between her two sisters.  “I want you both to be there.  Rhys will too, but he’ll be off camera because I don’t want people to know he’s there.  It’ll be a live stream that why people can’t say it’s fake or edited.  I want this to be raw and real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In fact, Rhys was already on his way over as they spoke.  She had sent him a text that morning telling him that she was ready and that he needed to get over to her house as soon as he could.  He hadn’t tried talking her out of it and had merely sent an ‘OK’ text.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s go set up,” Nesta said before she made her way to Feyre’s studio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them worked to get the room just right and to make sure Rhys wouldn’t be seen in the camera.  He arrived not long after they finished setting up and Elain let him in.  The first thing he did was hug Feyre and she let him, she took in his citrus and sea scent.  She felt relaxed when she smelled it.  “I’ll be here the entire time,” he whispered to her and she nodded her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three sisters situated themselves on the couch and Feyre started the stream.  They gave it a few minutes to let it fill up and when she was ready Feyre began.  “Hi everyone, I know I’ve been MIA for two weeks after I posted that last video saying I needed to take some time.”  She took in a shuddering breath.  “There’s something I need to say about my relationship with Tamlin Thorn and I don’t know how people will react to it.”  She felt Elain give her hand a gentle squeeze.  “In the beginning Tamlin was great.  He was kind, loving, attentive.  I thought that I had found my Prince Charming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then things took a turn for the worst.”  Her eyes filled with tears.  “For the last few months of our relationship I lived in fear.  He hit me, he yelled, and he tried to kill me.  He told me that I couldn’t leave him that I was his.  My sisters were coming to get me because I had finally had enough and wanted to leave.  I was almost through packing my things when he got aggressive and tried killing me.  Lucien came with my sisters and he was the one that pried Tamlin off of me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never went back and soon after that Tamlin left the country to do that tour he so quickly planned.  Now he’s spreading false information about me.  Saying I’m an attention seeker and I’m only using Rhys because he’s popular which simply isn’t true.  I had no idea who Rhys was until I saw the video of him and the others reacting to our own channel.  My followers know that I’m not big on the mainstream stuff, I just like doing my own thing and living as peacefully as I can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since that video has come out and since my sisters and I reacted to it, I’ve found friendship with Rhys.  He’s kind and caring, and one of the best friends I’ve ever could’ve asked for.”  She tried not to look over and see his reaction, and she accepted a tissue from Nesta to wipe her tears with.  “I know there will be some people who don’t believe me, and that’s fine.  You can believe me or not.  You can call me a liar and whatever else you want, but I am no longer going to let Tamlin Thorn ruin my life.  He is my past and I’m closing this door.  All the proceeds from this video and my next will be donated to domestic violence charities and go towards counseling of domestic abuse survivors.  If you or a loved one is experiencing this please consider reaching out for help.  I was lucky to have my sisters and Lucien, but I know not everyone has that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you know how much all of you mean to me, and your continued support on my channel is appreciated.  I’ll be back soon with some new videos, but I still need a bit more time.  This has reopened some old wounds and I want to get my mental state back in order before I come back fully.  Thank you for understanding, and thank you for listening.  I’ll see you all soon, bye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the camera was off and the live stream was over Feyre broke down into a fresh wave of tears.  Her sisters held her close as she cried and Rhys knelt in front of her, his hand on her knee.  The four of them stayed like that for a while as Feyre’s tears went from sobs to sniffles.  Her story was out in the open now and it wasn’t going to be easy going forward, but Feyre had to admit that it felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we go for ice cream?”  Elain suggested.  “We can invite Cass and Az and go to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cold Stone </span>
  </em>
  <span>together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre nodded, “Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll send a text to my brothers,” Rhys said before slipping his phone out of his pocket and telling his brothers where they were going.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre freshened up a bit and followed her sisters and Rhys out to the cars.  “I’ll ride with Rhys,” she said.  She wanted to just be alone with him for the moment and try not to think about what she had just done.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sisters nodded and accepted her choice without a second thought.  They knew that Rhys was a comforting presence for her and that he wouldn’t bug her to see how she was doing.  He would let her come to him with whatever was weighing on her mind.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rode in silence for a while, the radio quietly playing to fill the silence.  Feyre had her eyes closed trying to picture happier times.  She thought of Christmas with her parents and then her sisters.  She thought of the first painting she sold.  There was so much she had accomplished over the last several years and she was proud of how far she had come since Tamlin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never think you’re going to be a victim of abuse,” she said after a moment.  Rhys merely glanced at her before turning his eyes back to the road.  He would let her finish whatever thought she was having before commenting further.  “I thought he was such a good guy.  He was so sweet and caring when we first met and started dating.  Then he locked me in the house because of some perceived threat.  I think he was just afraid of losing me to some other man.  Even Lucien wasn’t really allowed to be around me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember there being a dip in your activity around that time,” he said.  “I wasn’t officially following you yet, but I had seen some of your videos and seen your work.  I noticed how sad and sick you looked.”  She looked at him and saw that his knuckles had turned white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel.  “I should have spoken up more about what he had done to my mother and sister, made more of a scene about what type of person he was.  Maybe then he wouldn’t have been able to do what he had done to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre reached over and rested a hand on his thigh, “What he did to me wasn’t your fault.  You had no idea that he was going to abuse me.  You had no idea of the pain he would inflict.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys, Feyre was coming to realize, liked to take the brunt of the blame for things that weren’t his fault, no matter how involved he was or not.  “Your videos were a saving grace for me,” he admitted.  “Once I got away from Amarantha and started therapy.  My therapist suggested that I look into more lowkey and chill videos to watch.  Something that would be relaxing for me to listen to.  It’s how I stumbled across your channel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad I was able to help,” she said earnestly, it made her happy to know that her content had brought some light into his life.  That was more toward the start of her career.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I was your first commission,” he said.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had just pulled into the parking lot of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cold Stone </span>
  </em>
  <span>and the two of them turned to look at one another.  Their siblings were waiting for them, but the two of them stayed in their little bubble.  “You requested the mountainscape.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, “It was actually one of Cassian’s photos that I sent to you.  He has the original hanging in his room and I have the painting in mine.  It’s the mountain where our cabin is located and I just wanted something that reminded me of good times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reached over and squeezed his hand, “Thank you for everything Rhys.  I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled at her, the one that made her heart race and her cheeks heat, “I’m sure you’d be just fine without me.  You’re stronger than you know, Feyre darling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled back, feeling as though a weight was being lifted from her shoulders.  She would be okay with friends like Rhys and her sisters by her side.  Even Lucien had asked her if she wanted him to go kick Tamlin’s ass for her.  She had declined, but the offer had been tempting.  “Let’s go get some ice cream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one brought up the live stream when Rhys and Feyre finally joined them.  Their large group crowded into the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cold Stone </span>
  </em>
  <span>store startling the teenage workers behind the counter.  They actually knew who the group was and asked if it would be too much trouble to take a picture with them.  They all happily agreed and took several photos with the teenagers before taking up a spot in a booth towards the back of the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre was quiet as they ate their ice cream, but laughed at the antics of the brothers and how annoyed Nesta seemed when Cassian “accidentally” got some ice cream on the tip of her nose.  Feyre also found it adorable how Elain and Azriel were sharing their ice creams with one another.  Trading off when one of them got a spoon of the others' ice cream.  Rhys even shared some of his cookies and cream with her when he caught her eyeing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It may have been an emotionally draining day for her, but she enjoyed being in their company and for that period of time she forgot about her troubles with Tamlin.  She wasn’t going to let him ruin her evening with her friends.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Twenty ~ Rhysand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>People had not shut up about Feyre’s live stream since she had been live four days prior.  Everyone was talking about how she was either lying or how Tamlin was a piece of trash.  The only ones that seemed to be on Tamlin’s side were the fans that were too obsessed with him to realize what a tool he actually was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys had been spending more time at her house over the past couple of days so she wouldn’t be alone while her sisters did their own things.  She had told him she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone and he had responded that she wasn’t a burden and that he liked spending time with her.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today however she was coming over to his home so that she could begin her end of the collaboration on his channel.  He was getting everything set up and ready to go when she knocked on his open door, “Hi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled, “Why do you seem nervous?  I’m the one that’s playing a horror game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I’ve never had anyone in here but my brothers, so I’m just a bit nervous to get your reactions and stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His gaming room had been painted black because he liked being in the dark sometimes when he gamed.  Posters hung on the wall of different games he enjoyed like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Assassin’s Creed </span>
  </em>
  <span>and there was some fanart that fans had done for him as well.  Games lined a bookshelf, he had amassed quite a collection over the years, some he had bought for himself and other gifts from either friends, family, or fans.  There was a couch and a table where he liked to edit his videos, and a neon sign that flared blue and said “Carpe Noctem”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does the sign mean?”  She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Latin for ‘Seize the night’.  More people are familiar with its counterpart ‘Seize the day’.  I enjoy the night much more than the day, so I had the sign made,” he explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They chatted for a few more minutes, Rhys going over the basics of his layout and set up.  He gave her a pair of headphones to use and he had on a pair as well.  A few days prior to her coming over he had gone out and gotten an adapter so they could both use headphones for the game.  Now they were sitting side by side as he showed her all the bells and whistles of his computer and showed her trailers for both the games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Araya,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she said firmly, her face set in determination.  “I’m not going to be scared and I’m going to kick ass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys chuckled and offered her a smile, “You’re going to scream, trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could tell that that made her a bit nervous, but he knew that she could handle this.  He started recording and did his intro and introduced Feyre who smiled and said hello.  Rhys told his followers what they would be doing that day and soon the game started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys quickly learned that Feyre was jumpy and at the first sign of something scary she screamed and had to take a few minutes to compose herself.  For his part, he tried not to laugh, but she was adorable and he loved that her first instinct was to cling to him.  “I can’t do this,” she said, her face buried in his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feyre darling, if I can do it then you can as well,” he said.  She looked up at him with a questioning gaze, “Plus it hasn’t even gotten scary yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave him a bewildered look, but reluctantly turned back to the screen and started playing again.  And she once again screamed when a wheelchair when flying past a doorway.  “I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this--” she chanted as she continued to play the opening bit of the game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took twenty minutes for her to play through the opening and when it was over she slumped in her chair, “Is it too late to change the game I want to play?”  She peaked at Rhys and he chuckled.  He had figured this would be her reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re doing beautifully,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They played for another hour and Feyre made it farther than he thought she would have given the fact that in the beginning, she kept pausing for five minutes to compose herself.  She got better at handling some of the jump scares.  They wrapped up and Feyre sat in her chair trying to collect her thoughts.  He watched her run through what he had just made her play.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you made me choose between that and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pac-Man</span>
  </em>
  <span> from Hell,” she finally turned to him and glared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pointed a finger at her, “You can’t blame this on me, I gave you a choice of games and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Infernium</span>
  </em>
  <span> is a hell of a lot less scary than </span>
  <em>
    <span>Araya</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pouted slightly and he found it adorable, “You owe me big time for this mister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Name your price, Feyre darling,” he purred in her ear.  He was rewarded with a deep blush staining her cheeks.  “Penny for your thoughts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head vehemently, “No way.  You don’t want to know what I’m thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I most certainly do,” they were close now, just a few more inches and his lips would be on hers.  He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to feel how soft her lips were, but he pulled away breaking the spell.  Feyre had been through a lot and he wasn’t going to add to it.  He was her friend and he was going to be there for her.  “Tell you what, I’ll buy you dinner and take you to a movie as an apology.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deal, where do you want to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever heard of Rita’s?  I believe Azriel took Elain there one night.  It’s very lowkey and chill.  Mor knows the owner,” he said.  “Then after we can see what movies are playing and I’ll let you pick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gathered up her things and the two of them headed for his car.  Cassian stopped her on her way out and asked how the game had gone, though his grin told them that he knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>how it had gone.  She flipped him off and headed out the door, the sound of his laughter chasing after both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made it to Rita’s and she gave them the best table in the house.  The two of them sat close in the booth, their thighs pressed closely together.  He pointed things out on the menu that he enjoyed or thought she might like.  When their waitress came over they placed their order and thanked the young girl.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre leaned her head on Rhys’s shoulder and let out a content sigh, “Thank you for taking my mind off of things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Feyre darling,” he said as his hand found hers under the table and laced their fingers together and rested his head against hers.  “I just want to see you smile,” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence while they waited for their food.  When it arrived they reluctantly let the other go and dug in.  Dinner went by and they laughed and ate, Rhys relieved to see her smile reached her eyes.  He had been worried since she had done the live stream.  After they finished dinner they went to the theater not far from the restaurant and Rhys let her choose the movie.  She picked a romcom about two friends faking a relationship until they both wound up catching feelings for one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys pulled “the move” where he yawned and stretched his arm out behind her.  She leaned in and whispered, “Smooth,” which made him chuckle, but she snuggled in as close as she could, and before he could think too much about it he kissed the top of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the movie was done Rhys drove them back to his house and they said their goodnights to one another.  As Rhys walked her to her car he thought about kissing her again.  It had been a wonderful night and he wanted to pour everything into that kiss, but he didn’t know how she felt about being kissed.  So instead he hugged her and made sure she was tucked safely into her car before heading back inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brothers called him an idiot for not kissing her then.  But he wanted to wait until he was sure she was ready and wanted to be kissed before doing it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘FANS SPOT RHYSAND KNIGHT AND FEYRE ACHERON OUT ON A DATE’</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Just four days after Feyre live streamed the traumatic events of her past with former boyfriend Tamlin Thorn, Feyre - a famous Youtuber known for her paintings - was seen at a restaurant known as Rita’s.  The fan managed to snap a few photos of the pair as they sat fairly close to one another.  The fan said that the two looked adorable together and appeared to be completely wrapped up in the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fan had this to say, “It’s nice to see Feyre happy again.  She’s seemed so depressed and I know she’s taking a break from YouTube right now.  I’m just glad that she has someone there for her.  I hope they work out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No word from Tamlin Thorn on how he feels about this.  We’ve reached out for a comment, but he seems to be silent as of right now.  Though his now girlfriend had this to say about Tamlin, “Tamlin is the sweetest person that I know.  I don’t know what Feyre is talking about because he’s never raised a hand to me.  If you ask me I think she’s always been out for attention and likes to play the victim.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianthe and Tamlin traveled the world together after Feyre and Tamlin split not too long ago.  Feyre has never commented on their relationship nor does she seem interested in doing so.  It is also fair to point out that Ianthe and Feyre used to be friends before her split from Tamlin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>We’ll just have to wait and see where this budding romance goes from here!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Subscribe to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Buzzfeed </span>
  </em>
  <span>for more news articles like this!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys hadn’t been surprised to wake up to the news article about his night out with Feyre.  She was being watched closely by fans and paparazzi alike.  He just hated that their relationship was being spun in this way.  Hated that people were making them be something more than they were, although he would give it to the fan they did look pretty cozy and could have been misconstrued as a date.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he didn’t understand why they had to drag Tamlin into this.  Everyone was after the drama and all he wanted was to be left out of it.  He thought that all his drama with Tamlin was over after everything that happened between his dad and the Thorn family.  He wouldn’t trade knowing Feyre though if it meant he never had to deal with Tamlin again.  He cared about her too much to do that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he sent her a text.</span>
</p><p><b>Rhys: </b><span>Buzzfeed has caught on to our outing last night.  A fan saw us</span> <span>and sent a picture to the site.  They’ve also reached out to Tamlin for a comment.</span></p><p>
  <b>Feyre Darling: </b>
  <span>I’m not surprised.  I saw the article this morning as well, but I’m not too worried about it.  Ianthe and Tamlin can talk as much shit as they want, but I’m done dealing with them.  I’ve shed enough tears over this situation, I’m over it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A spark of pride welled up inside of Rhys.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys: </b>
  <span>Ngl that was a little sexy</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre Darling: </b>
  <span>;)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and shut out of their messages.  He still had work that needed to be done today, and he knew Feyre probably had things she wanted to work on as well.  Rhys knew that they hadn’t heard the last from Ianthe and Tamlin.  They were still going to try and make things incredibly hard for everyone, but right now he just wanted to be happy to hear that she was done with their bullshit and was moving on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drama could be saved for another day because Rhys wasn’t going to let them spoil his good mood.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Twenty-One ~ Elain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There was a time when Elain thought her life would be simple.  When she was with Graysen she thought that she would be a housewife.  Graysen’s mother had been one and Graysen had told her that she wouldn’t have to work a day in her life, that he would take care of her.  She thought she would still be living in New York while her sisters got to go live out their grand adventure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was a depressing thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated thinking that she wouldn’t be going anywhere with her life if she had stayed and married Graysen.  She hated that she had to go through the pain and suffering of breaking off her engagement and finding out that he was cheating on her, but at least she wasn’t stuck in a loveless marriage.  Instead, she followed her sisters and started her YouTube channel.  She had a great life and now an amazing boyfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Azriel Knight, huh?”  Lucien asked her as they got frozen yogurt and sat in the park watching others go by.  “I honestly never saw that coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain laughed and dropped her head, “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t see you choosing another YouTuber,” he admitted honestly.  “I thought you’d go for someone average and not with a passionate fanbase.  You know how fangirls can get when it comes to their idols.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did have a point there.  She did have a few comments telling her that she wasn’t good enough for Azriel and to stay away from him, but she ignored those people.  “I really like him,” she told Lucien.  “I wasn't expecting this to happen and it probably never would have if they hadn’t reacted to our channel on theirs.”   </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy for you,” Lucien told her honestly.  He knew of her struggles with Graysen and if Azriel made her happy and she could move on with her life then the more power to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain bumped him with her shoulder, “I’m glad you’re back for now.  I missed you while you were away.  How did the filming go?”  Lucien was a director for a major film company and was constantly traveling wherever he was needed next.  He was only going to be back for a few weeks before jet setting off again to a new location.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It went well, we managed to finish ahead of schedule which is why I’m back earlier than you expected,” he told her.  “Next week I’m off to Atlanta to film a super-secret project there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any hints?”  She questioned.  There were times when Lucien couldn’t tell her about his work because he had signed contracts and NDAs silencing him.  Some companies just didn’t want their films accidentally leaked to the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He patted her on the head, “Afraid not, I’ve signed my life away with this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged it off, she had figured he wouldn’t be able to say anything.  “You’ll keep in contact though, right?  I don’t want to go weeks without hearing from you like that time you went to Europe and were filming there.  I wasn’t sure if you had died or not and was so worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed, “Don’t worry, you’ll be the first and last person I message every day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” his answer appeased her.  “Now come on I need to go get supplies for my garden.”  He groaned as she took his hand and began dragging him away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Movie night was a requirement in the Acheron household.  Every Friday night one of the sisters would pick a movie and they would watch it together.  The tradition had begun after their mother had passed on.  When their father was too drunk to think straight Nesta took matters into her own hands. She had tried to shield her younger sisters as much as she could back then.  It wasn’t until Elain was older that she realized just how much Nesta had taken on in those days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Feyre’s turn to choose and she had chosen a rom-com called Fools Rush In.  It had been amongst the three sisters' favorites growing up and on occasion when one of them needed to smile or feel happy it was the movie of choice.  Neither Elain nor Nesta said anything knowing that their sister had been through a lot lately and could use the pick me up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girls made their snacks, popcorn, cookie dough, sour gummy worms, cool ranch chips, and their soda of choice and headed up to Nesta’s bedroom.  She had the largest bed where they all three could curl up and enjoy the movie in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They laughed and swooned at their favorite parts and snuggled close to one another under the covers.  Feyre would sometimes steal some of the gummy worms from Elain’s side of the bed and Nesta would steal Feyre’s chips.  No one complained because this is how it had always been.  And once the credit started to roll on the movie did they start their other Friday night tradition: girl talk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The discussion went from random tabloid gossip that they had heard to random drama circulating on YouTube.  Then it finally turned to their personal lives and things they wanted to talk about with each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre turned toward Elain, “I wanna know more about Azriel.  He seems so quiet and reserved, but is he actually like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean kinda, but he’s opening up more with me.  He’s so kind and sweet, that it makes me question what I ever saw in Graysen,” she admitted.  “He’s also different from anyone I’ve ever been with.  He’s got these tattoos on his back and shoulders, he fights professionally, he looks like the kinda boy Mom used to warn us about,” she giggled and her sisters followed suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They all do,” Nesta snorted.  “I’m pretty sure Mom is rolling over in her grave right now yelling at us from the great beyond that they’re not good enough for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre grinned, “I’m sure she’d come around though when she saw how sweet they were, and that their stereotypes were all wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think Dad will like them?”  Elain asked carefully, unsure of how her sisters would react.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They hadn’t seen their father in nearly two years.  Before Feyre got into her relationship with Tamlin and before they had officially left New York is when they saw their father.  He worked at the local Wal-Mart just trying to make ends meet.  Elain sent him money every month to help as much as she could.  She understood why Nesta and Feyre resented him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta stared up at the ceiling, “I don’t know.  I honestly haven’t really thought about what Dad would think about my life choices in a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither have I,” Feyre said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should go see him,” Elain said.  “He sent a letter a little while ago telling me how much he misses us and that he watches our videos.  I know he hasn’t been the best father, but he’s all that we have left in this world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll think about it,” Feyre said.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s all I ask,” Elain responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The conversation went back to their usual topics and Feyre demanded to know more about Azriel.  Soon Elain was the last one standing as her sisters laid curled up beside her.  Elain was beginning to drift off to sleep when her phone buzzed.  She glanced down at it and saw that she had received a message from Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel🌵:  Goodnight El</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grinned sleepily at her phone and typed a quick goodnight before shutting it down and joining her sisters in peaceful slumber.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elain was sitting beside Azriel - her legs across his lap - at his house playing Animal Crossing together.  Cassian was on the chair opposite her editing some photos he had taken earlier from his hike.  He kept asking her about the different plants he had spotted and photographed, she had identified them all with expert ease.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ellie,” Cassian poked her cheek and she looked at him expectantly.  “Nesta’s birthday is coming up right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian fidgeted in his seat, “What would she like for it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain heard Azriel slightly snickering at how nervous his brother seemed and she gently kicked him to get him to shut up.  Cassian was still watching her, ignoring his brother completely.  “You could always get her a gift card to Velaris Books.  Or you could ask her what she wants, although be prepared to hear an ‘I don’t care get me whatever’.  She’s not big on her birthday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel spoke up and asked, “Are you and your sisters doing anything special for it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, we’ve been wanting to throw her a surprise party for the past couple of years, but we don’t have many friends in common.  It would be a very sad turnout,” Elain explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, why don’t we throw her one here?  Mor loves parties and would be more than happy to set everything up,” Cassian said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure!  That sounds great, I’ll let Feyre know when I get home,” Elain said with a wide smile on her face.  She knew her younger sister was going to be thrilled to hear the news, though she wasn’t sure how Nesta was going to react.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great I’ll let Mor know all the details and you, Feyre, and Mor can plan it all out,” Cassian shut his laptop and stood.  “I’ll leave the two of you alone now, I’m pretty sure Az wants to kill me for how much time I’ve consumed already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Cassian had disappeared out of sight Azriel tugged Elain onto his lap and she let out a startled yelp.  “Az,” she scolded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned at her, the one that made her heart skip a beat, “What?”  His innocent act wasn’t getting past her.  She knew what he was up to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were in the middle of a game, kisses can wait until later,” she tried to squirm off his lap, but his arms were locked securely around her.  “Az,” she drew out the ‘z’ in a whine, but he merely attached his lips to her neck planting lazy kisses against her skin causing her to momentarily short circuit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about we make this interesting?”  He asked as his lips hovered over hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m listening,” she murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked triumphant, “Why don’t we switch to Mario Kart and whoever wins owes the other a favor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She arched an eyebrow, “What kind of favors?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “Anything that we can do in the living room without fear of my brothers walking in on us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or,” it was her turn to grin.  “We could go to your room and play strip Mario Kart.  Every time one of us loses we remove an article of clothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel seemed floored by this which is what she had been aiming for, “You’re on.”  He grabbed her hand and the two of them hurriedly made their way to Azriel’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The game started and Azriel lost the first round, he cheekily removed one of his socks.  The game went back and forth with each one of them losing a handful of times until Azriel was wearing his underwear and Elain was in her bra, panties, and the garter that had been holding up her stockings.  She could feel Azriel’s heated gaze on her as she lost another round and removed the garter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She may have made a little bit of a show of it and slowly brought it down her legs before tossing it on top of her other clothes.  “You’re drooling, Azriel,” she looked at him, his eyes fixed solely on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You're making this incredibly hard,” he told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggled, and moved closer to him so that they were nearly touching, “I know.”  He growled and forced himself to turn back to the game, but at the last second, she pulled ahead and raced across the finish line.  “Yes!”  She beamed at him, knowing that not only had she won that round, but the entire game.  “I win,” she said in a singsong voice.  “Take it off Knight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He narrowed his eyes and gently took the game console out of her hands and placed them on his nightstand.  He carefully pushed her back against the bed and hovered over her, taking one hand and trailing it up her thigh causing her breath to hitch.  “You’re feeling very cocky at the moment, Acheron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hardly ever win against you,” she said with a slight pout.  “Let me have this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and slowly moved away from her, tossing his underwear onto the pile, “Happy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Immensely,” she said as she reached up to pull him down so she could kiss him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel let her be in control that night, letting her guide him and taking immense pleasure from seeing her in control.  Azriel had a way of making her feel sexy with just a single look.  Had her blood rushing and insecurities flitting away.  She felt safe wrapped in his arms after they had finished and she wouldn’t mind staying wrapped up in him for the rest of her life.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Two characters from one of Sarah's other works will be appearing in the next chapter.  Any guesses on who?</p><p>Also Happy Holidays!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Twenty-Two ~ Azriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next fight in Azriel’s match was quickly approaching and he had been spending more time at the gym and away from Elain.  They still messaged each other every day, but he missed his alone time with her.  Nuala and Cerrdiwen were not pleased with his lack of focus on some days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Focus,” Nuala hissed one day.  “We know you’re head over heels for this new girl in your life, but if you want to win against Hunt Alathar then you need to get your head in the game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is,” he hissed at her as he blocked a shot from her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunt Alathar was good, he was backed by The Legion.  A gym across town where the best of the best of the best went.  Micah had tried recruiting Azriel a few years prior, but he wasn’t about to leave Nuala and Cerrdiwen.  Plus he had heard Micah was a tightass who pushed his fighters too hard and cut people from the roster if they weren’t living up to his expectations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would rather have the family feeling of Wraith’s Gym than the uppity one at The Legion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened and Azriel barely paid attention to who had come in until he heard, “So this is where you practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head whipped to the outside of the ring where Elain stood in workout gear.  Nuala was standing beside her, scowling at Azriel, “Are you happy?  I summoned her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cerrdiwen cracked her knuckles, “We figured maybe if she was here and in the ring with you then you could finally focus on something other than wanting to be with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain got into the ring and came toward Azriel, standing on her toes until he bent to give her a quick kiss.  There were a few catcalls from some of the guys teasing him.  “Oi, shut it,” he said to them.  To Elain, he said, “I’m glad you’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything I can do to make sure you win your next match,” she playfully punched his stomach and made him laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Down tiger,” he grabbed her hands and pulled her closer.  “I gotta teach you a few things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nuala and Cerridwen stood back and watched their friend interact with Elain.  They watched him teach her how to properly ball up her fists and throw a punch.  His focus only on her as they worked together.  “Do you think he’ll be able to beat, Alathar?”  Nuala asked her twin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope so,” Cerridwen didn’t take her eyes off the couple in the ring.  “I heard Alathar is Micah’s up and coming star.  There’s no telling what he can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was true.  Hunt hadn’t made his way through the fighting rings yet, but the twins had been watching him and knew that he was good.  He had managed to beat Aedion in their match a few weeks prior.  With Helion the twins had known what to expect, but Hunt was a wild card.  They couldn’t teach Azriel a pattern or fighting style that mimicked Hunt’s because they did know how he handled the ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had faith in Azriel, but even he wasn’t able to win every fight that was put in front of him. All they wanted for their friend was to see him succeed and do well and get a shot at the belt.  In their opinion he deserved it.  He had come so far from the kid they had known on the streets, and they wanted him to do well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few more hours of Azriel teaching Elain the basics they were allowed to call it quits and went to get dinner together.  They took it back to her house, the two of them splitting their time between either of their homes and shared a lovely meal with her sisters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd was going wild already and neither of the fighters had come out to the ring yet.  Azriel was currently in his dressing room trying to mentally prepare for the fight.  Elain, her sisters, and his brothers were out in the crowd somewhere ready to either watch him succeed or fail at his task.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A knock on the door signaled that it was time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He joined Nuala and Cerridwen in the hallway and together they made their way to the ring.  “Welcome to the ring a man who has been called a beast by former opponents, AZRIEL KNIGHT!”  The announcer yelled into the mic making the crowd lose their minds.  “And his opponent for the evening, a rookie with a promising record, HUNT ALATHAR!”  Once again the crowd lost their minds as Hunt soon joined him in the ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The referee came over and said, “All right you boys know the rules, keep this clean and fair.”  He looked at both of them waiting for their nods of understanding before he said, “Fight!” and backed away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunt and Azriel circled one another sizing the other up before beginning their attacks.  Azriel managed to avoid several jabs, but Hunt was soon able to land one.  Azriel returned the favor and hit Hunt on the face.  He knew that was going to leave a mark later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They went round for round until Azriel was able to pin Hunt to the mat and after several failed attempts to get back up again he tapped out.  The referee came over and lifted Azriel’s hand, he heard the announcer going wild and was barely heard over the roar of the crowd.  But all of that was just white noise to Azriel as he scanned the seats for Elain.  He found her cheering in the stands looking a bit more confident in herself than the last time she had come to his match.  He grinned broadly when he caught her eye and she gave him two thumbs up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men were escorted back to their rooms to shower and change.  Nuala and Cerridwen were taking care of any of the necessary business before they had to leave.  After the fights when he was alone again in his dressing room just doing his after match routine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time though there was a knock and Elain peeked her head inside the room, “Hey there champ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled her into the room, he was still a little damp from his shower, but Elain didn’t seem to care.  “Hello my flower,” he responded before bending down to kiss her.  “Did you have fun tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did!  I was still nervous because I don’t want to see you get hurt, but I know that it’s inevitable.”  She moved closer to him and looked up at him through her lashes, “Plus it’s kinda sexy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sexy, huh?”  He smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bit her lip and nodded, “Yeah.  Now hurry up and get dressed we’re all going out for dinner!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awww I don’t get to take you back to your place and have you nurse me back to health again?”  He questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed, “That’ll be later, promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finished getting dressed and the two-headed out to the parking lot where their family was waiting for them along with an unfamiliar red-haired woman.  Azriel had never seen her before tonight, but it seemed as though Feyre and Nesta knew her, and when Elain spotted her she began squealing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead turned around and a wide smile spread across her face, “ELAIN!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BRYCE!”  They threw themselves into each others’ arms and held on for dear life.  “What are you doing here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My boyfriend is Hunt,” she said.  “And I see you’ve managed to land yourself a fighter as well.”  The two women bent their heads and giggled with one another.  “Ah speak of the devil,” Bryce said as an arm was slung around Azriel’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced at the man and arched an eyebrow, “You’re chipper for someone who just lost a fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunt chuckled, “If I win I win, if I lose then I lose.  Plus I wanted Micah to stop breathing down my damn neck all the time.  Now I get to take a vacation with my girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce rolled her eyes, “I’ve told you a hundred times if you’re not happy at Legion then just leave.  Micah’s an ass anyway and doesn’t deserve you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could always switch to Wraith’s,” Azriel suggested.  He hated hearing when fighters were tired of where they were.  “Nuala and Cerridwen are great trainers and would probably be more than happy to take you on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”  He asked.  “Because I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>love </span>
  </em>
  <span>to come to Wraith’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel produced a card from his pocket and handed it over to Hunt, “Call them on Monday and tell them I sent you.  They discuss things with you then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to join us for dinner?”  Elain asked.  “We were all just about to go eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I promised Bryce a romantic night, but thanks for the offer.  Maybe if I join Wraith’s we can all go out and celebrate together,” Hunt responded as he slipped his hand into Bryce’s.  “Nice meeting you all, and great fight tonight Azriel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too, Hunt,” he threw up a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do y’all even know Bryce?”  Cassian asked as they headed for their vehicles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta was the one to answer him, “We met Bryce when Feyre was selling some of her work when we first moved out here.  Bryce’s boss likes to collect and deal things out to various clients, and Bryce discovered Feyre’s work online and got in contact with her.  We all just kinda clicked and became friends after that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bryce was a lifesaver,” Feyre said.  “She knew LA so well because of her job and she showed us all the best places in the city and took us under her wing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s like a sister to us,” Elain finished.  “I had no idea her boyfriend was a fighter.  If I had known I would have messaged her and told her we were going to be here tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made it to their cars and promised to meet at Rita’s.  Azriel grinned at Elain, “Do you wanna drive?”  He dangled the keys in front of her and she grabbed them out of his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll never say no to driving this thing,” she told him, a matching grin on her face.  “You just want to see me drive though because it's a turn on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t going to lie, it was a turn on.  Seeing her drive his car that first night had been surprising and exciting all at the same time.  He wanted to see her behind the wheel again.  They drove in companionable silence to the restaurant and when they arrived Azriel quickly got out so that he could open her door for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you never do that with me?”  He heard Nesta ask his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because the last time I did you yelled at me because you said you could open your own doors, that you were an independent woman,” Cassian told her, a grin on his face that told Azriel he didn’t mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre snorted, “That sounds like something Nesta would say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian looked at Nesta and said, “How about sometimes I randomly open your door for you, and then the other half you open your own door?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can live with that,” she said and looped her arm through his and let him lead her inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel shook his head, “Those two are either a match made in heaven or they’re going to kill one another before things are over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think Cassian’s good for her, she needs someone stubborn like he is,” Elain surmised.  “They’re a good match.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whether his brother and her sister would work out would remain to be seen.  For now, they would stand back and enjoy the push and pull the two went through.  Azriel secretly hoped that his brother wouldn’t get his heartbroken by the eldest Acheron.  He didn’t want to watch Cassian go through heartbreak because he knew how much Cassian was beginning to like Nesta.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to keep his nose out of his brother’s business though.  He would just be there for him if he ever needed the support.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Twenty-Three ~ Nesta</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nesta went through email after email.  Some were spam, others were requests for her to review books, and some were people messaging her sponsorship deals.  There was one however that stood out amongst them all.  Someone from BookCon had messaged her asking if she would be willing to come and talk at a panel with other BookTubers.</p><p>It was no secret that Nesta’s popularity was on the rise and she was becoming one of the more well-known BookTubers out there.  But that didn’t mean that she didn’t get surprised any time something remotely exciting happened because of her platform.  And if she went to BookCon that meant she’d be traveling all the way to New York for it.</p><p>The event wouldn’t be until next year, but she still had to plan for the trip and if she wanted to go.  All the talent had to be lined up ahead of time so they knew how to plan accordingly.  This was something she had dreamed of doing for so long.  </p><p>Hitting reply she typed up her response:</p><p>
  <em> I would be thrilled and honored to join the panel at next year's BookCon.  Just send over any details that I will need and I’ll begin planning ahead. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Thank you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Nesta Acheron </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sisters Three </em>
</p><p>She picked up her phone and shot a text off to her sisters to tell them and ask them if they would come with her if nothing happened between now and then.  </p><p><b>Feyre🎨👩‍🎨: </b>I’d love to go!  It’ll be a good excuse to get out of town for a while.</p><p><b>Elain💐: </b>Count me in!</p><p>Relieved to hear that her sisters were in she then messaged Cassian.</p><p><b>Nesta: </b>I was asked to go to BookCon next year and be one of the panelists there.</p><p><b>Cassian📸: </b>That’s awesome, sweetheart!  What’s BookCon?</p><p>Cassian not knowing what BookCon was, wasn’t a surprise.  She would have been more surprised if he did.</p><p><b>Nesta: </b> It’s a big convention that they hold annually where authors and publishers go to promote their works.  I’m one of the BookTubers they asked to come and speak.</p><p><b>Cassian📸:  </b>I’m happy for you, Nesta.  That’s really cool that you get to do that.  I know you’re going to be like a kid in a candy shop when you’re there.</p><p><b>Nesta:  </b>Lol well you’re not wrong about that.  I never really thought that I would get a chance to go to it.  I always wanted to, but I’ve either been too busy or I didn’t have enough money to attend.  Now I’m one of the panelists.</p><p>Her phone began to ring and she saw that it was Cassian calling her, when she answered she said, “You know we could have kept texting, there was no reason for you to call me.”</p><p>“I know, but I wanted to hear your voice,” he admitted, and that had butterflies springing to life in her stomach.  “Any idea what you’ll talk about?”</p><p>“Nope, I’ll probably get a better idea of everything that’s going to happen the closer the time to the convention comes up, but for now they’ve just asked me to attend.”</p><p>“Are your sisters going to go with you?”  She heard him packing stuff up as he talked to her and she wondered what he was doing.</p><p>“Yeah, they said they would try to go with me.  They want to go home, and I’m pretty sure Elain wants to go check on Dad while she’s there,” Nesta admitted.</p><p>There was a pause and then, “Do you want to see your dad while you’re there?”</p><p>Nesta fell silent as she thought over her answer, “I don’t know if I do or not.  Yeah, he’s my dad and all, but he just kinda stopped caring after Mom died.  And I don’t know if I’ve forgiven him for that yet.”</p><p>“It’s understandable, and it should only be something you do when you’re ready for it,” he told her.  “No one can tell you when you’re ready to forgive another person.  He hurt you and your sisters and I know how protective you are of them.  Only you can decide when to see him, and if that’s never then that’s your right.”</p><p>“Wise words,” she said with a soft chuckle.</p><p>He chuckled as well, “I can impart wisdom sometimes, I’m not just a pretty face.”</p><p>“No you’re not,” she said quietly.  “I should go, I have things that I need to record and get done for this week's video.  But I’ll talk to you later, okay?”</p><p>“All right, have fun,” he told her.  </p><p>She hung up the phone looking at the silly photo Cassian had taken the night after Azriel’s first fight when they were at the bar together.  She had had his photo as one of the ones she had found from the internet, but Cassian said she deserved something fresh and new.  It was the two of them together making silly faces at her phone’s camera.  They weren’t drunk at that point, just a little buzzed.  The two of them giggling the entire time.</p><p>She smiled and didn’t ignore the fluttery feeling in her stomach this time when her thoughts of Cassian turned to the what-ifs of their relationship.</p><p> </p><p>Alis had called Nesta in because one of her workers had called out sick with the flu.  Seeing as how she had nothing else to do and wanting to spend it around books she had told Alis she’d be there shortly.  The afternoon moved on slowly as she reorganized shelves and put out new merchandise. </p><p>Her shift was coming to a close when she heard, “Excuse me, do you think you could show me where the biographies are?”</p><p>“Yeah they’re--” She stopped when she turned and saw Ianthe behind her, a knowing smirk on the other woman’s face.  “What do you want, Ianthe?”</p><p>“Well I did come in for a book, but lucky me running into you here,” the smile only seemed to grow.  “How’s your sister doing?”</p><p>Nesta clenched her fists at her side and tried to reign in her anger, “Feyre is fine, happier even without you and the tool in her life.”</p><p>Ianthe seemed unbothered by the comment, “That’s wonderful for her.”  She stepped closer so that Nesta was overwhelmed with the scent of her perfume.  “And what about Cassian?  I’m assuming he hasn’t taken me up on my offer because of you.  Feeling threatened that I may take your man from you too?”</p><p>The way Ianthe gloated made Nesta grit her teeth.  She knew that Ianthe was merely trying to get under her skin and goad her into a fight.  She wasn’t going to let that happen.  “No, I think Cassian has better taste in women.”</p><p>Ianthe threw her head back and laughed, “Sweetie, he’s a <em> guy </em>.  They all only want one thing and the moment he knows I’m more than willing I’m sure he’ll come running to me.”  She looked Nesta up and down.  “It’s obvious he isn’t getting it from you.”</p><p>“Why are you like this?  Why do you seem to have it out for my sisters and I?”  Nesta questioned.  “Are you threatened?  Because we literally don’t give two shits about you or what you’re doing with your life.  We’re just trying to live ours.”</p><p>Ianthe rolled her eyes, “You and your sisters pretend to be so perfect.  So sweet.  It’s honestly sickening.  And not everyone has to like you.”</p><p>“Hello pot,” Nesta said.  “I don’t need my followers' validation to feel good about myself.  I know my worth.  And I’d really prefer it if you just stayed out of our business.”</p><p>Nesta went to walk away, but Ianthe’s next words had her pausing, “Why don’t you test him then.  It’s clear that you have trust issues and that’s why you’re continuously stuck in love limbo.  Tell Cassian to take my offer.  If you really trust him don’t hold him back from things that will propel his career forward.”</p><p>Nesta didn’t even dignify Ianthe’s words with a response.  She merely walked away and told Alis she was going home.  Ianthe and her conversation floating through her mind the entire time.  Her words had struck a nerve with Nesta.  Trust was a big issue for her and having Ianthe know this wasn’t something she liked.</p><p>Was she holding Cassian back though?</p><p>Would he have taken the deal if it wasn’t for her?</p><p>She knew that Ianthe was making him uncomfortable that one day in the coffee shop.  But Ianthe had been flirting then.  Nesta didn’t see what their interaction was like at the gym, and Cassian hadn’t talked about it.  He avoided the topic of Ianthe altogether.  But she wasn’t going to stand there and lie to herself that this wouldn’t be good for Cassian’s photography career.</p><p>As much as she hated to admit it, Ianthe was a powerhouse in the beauty and fashion communities.  She was successful and well known.  Photographing her late collection would put Cassian on a different kind of map than the one he was already on.  This would make him a contender in the photography realm.  He could get more deals and jobs because of this.</p><p>It was selfish of her to let her own insecurities hold him back if this is something he really wanted to do in a professional capacity.</p><p><b>Nesta: </b>I think you should take Ianthe’s deal</p><p>The three little dots noting that Cassian was responding appeared almost immediately as if he had known she was going to message him.</p><p><b>Cassian📸:  </b>Whoa, where did this come from?</p><p><b>Nesta: </b>I ran into her tonight while I was working a shift for Alis.  She told me that I was holding you back and I’m here to say that you should take the deal.  Photographing her new line will be great exposure for your photography and will put your name out there.  It’ll open new doors and I think it’s something you should do.</p><p><b>Cassian📸:  </b>Sweetheart, she makes me uncomfortable as it is.  And I know what she’s done to your sister.  I’m not sure I want to work for her.</p><p><b>Nesta:  </b>I think it’ll be good for you, Cass.  Don’t let me hold you back</p><p>She left the conversation there and went to help Elain bake some cookies for a local fundraiser Elain was taking part in.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry if chapters have slowed down.  I'm doing a milestone challenge on my Marvel blog and I have to post a new story every day this month so I've been more focused on that for the moment.  I hope you enjoyed this chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Twenty-Four ~ Cassian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There were moments in life when Cassian found himself confused.  The moment he heard the news Adeena and Farren were no longer with them.  The moment Adeena had told him he no longer had to live on the streets.  The moment when his channel blew up.  And now the text messages he had received from Nesta.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had come out of left field and he couldn’t understand why.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What had happened between the two women in that bookstore that had Nesta telling him that she was holding him back?  Holding him back from what?  His career would be fine whether he took or didn’t take Ianthe’s deal.  There was no situation where he wouldn’t be fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now he was staring at the messages they had sent in utter silence wondering what the fuck had just happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing he headed down to the kitchen where his brothers were doing random chores and asked, “Can y’all tell me if this seems strange to you?”  He then showed them the conversation that he just had and both of them stared at the phone in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is Ianthe playing at?”  Rhys asked.  “What did she say that got so under Nesta’s skin that she feels the need to tell you she’s okay with this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian shook his head, “I have no idea!  That’s the thing.  Ianthe is really pushing for this and while she made it seem that it was all just for business I know she has ulterior motives.  And now it seems like she might have beef with Nesta.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel spoke next, “Maybe it’s time you just flat out refuse Ianthe.  Or just talk to her in person and tell her to leave you and Nesta alone.  She may get the message and stop pushing so hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhys snorted, “Unlikely, but he can try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s already forced my hand somewhat,” Cassian said.  “When I did that live stream the night after I got home from the gym she said something in my chat about us working together.  There’s already been news articles about it.  She knew exactly what she was doing when she did it too.”  There was no way she hadn’t known.  She was too smart for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d message her and tell her you want to talk and then go from there,” Rhys said.  “I don’t want you around her as much as you don’t want to be around her, but this may be the only way to get her off your case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel nodded, “I agree.  Ianthe doesn’t seem like the type to stop pursuing something so easily.  I think it's best if you talk to her and then just refuse her.  But go somewhere neutral where she doesn’t have control.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking over his brothers’ advice he shot off a text to Ianthe.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Cassian:  </b>
  <span>Tomorrow at noon meet me at the cafe next to Velaris Books.  We need to discuss a few things.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Ianthe: </b>
  <span>Can't wait ;)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The use of a winky face emoji made him want to gag.  Tomorrow he was going to put a stop to whatever Ianthe’s game was once and for all hopefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cassian arrived early at the cafe and found a seat in the back.  His leg was bouncing up and down nervously as he waited for Ianthe to show.  In his younger days, he may have gone for someone like Ianthe, he wouldn’t have cared about what she wanted from him.  He would have used her just as she was using him and then been done with the whole thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was different now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t want to be anywhere near someone like Ianthe.  She made his skin crawl and he felt icky after being around her and her heated gaze.  And clearly, she was going to be an obstacle for him and Nesta if he and she were ever going to make it past the friendship stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian hadn’t quite wanted someone as much as he wanted Nesta.  He was falling head over heels for her and he would do anything she asked.  If she told him that they could never be anything other than friends he would be devastated sure, but he also would be happy to just have her in his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bell on the door jingled pulling him out of his thoughts and saw that it was Ianthe sauntering toward him.  There wasn’t a blonde hair out of place on her head and she looked as though she just walked off the set of a magazine photoshoot.  She was smiling broadly at Cassian and he had to keep reminding himself that he was going to be in and out in no time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so glad you finally got back to me,” she said as she pulled up a chair and sat down across from him.  “I was beginning to think that I wasn’t ever going to hear from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian fiddled with the napkin on the table, his eyes locked onto Ianthe’s face, “I’m sorry it took so long for me to get back to you, and I’m afraid it won’t be good news.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile faltered and began to look forced.  “What do you mean it’s not good news?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t work it into my schedule.  I have a lot of things going on at the moment and I’m afraid that I just can’t fit you into my schedule,” it was a lie, but he didn’t need her knowing this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She narrowed her eyes and tapped those impossibly long nails against the table.  Cassian wondered if she was ever afraid she'd poke one of her eyes out with them, to be honest, he always thought the super long nails were intimidating.  He'd personally be too afraid to wear them.  “Is this because of Nesta?  Did she say something to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Cassian’s turn to frown, “I don’t know what Nesta has to do with this, but she wasn’t a part of the equation.  I don’t need her permission to take or decline deals.  I’m sorry that I can’t accept the job, but I have a list prepared of others that are more than capable of doing what you require for this job.”  He went to reach into his pocket, but her next words stopped him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nesta must be feeling oh so threatened if she made you not take the job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His gaze snapped back up to her, his eyes narrowing.  He didn't like what she was implying and he didn't like that she thought he wasn't capable of making decisions for himself.  “If you’re so insistent on painting Nesta as some kind of villain then it won’t hurt for you to know that she told me to take the job,” Cassian said, crossing his arms over his chest.  “I on the other hand decided on my own to decline.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianthe cocked her head to the side, “You know those Acheron sisters have fucked a lot of things up.  There’s a lot of negative attention on Tamlin right now because that bitch Feyre couldn’t keep her mouth shut about her ex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian felt his anger rise, “Maybe if he learned not to touch women inappropriately he wouldn’t be in hot water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s never laid a hand on me,” Ianthe sniffed.  “I think she’s just a little attention whore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian leaned forward and smirked, “Or maybe he’s just using you for his own pleasure and you’re not the person he really wants.”  Cassian stood.  “We’re done here, Ianthe.  Don’t contact me or Nesta again.  As a matter of fact, don’t ever have either of our names in your mouth ever again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He left the cafe and headed straight for the Acheron house.  Nesta’s car was the only one in the driveway when he arrived.  Ringing the doorbell he waited until a surprised Nesta opened the door.  Her robe was wrapped tightly around her and she looked like she was just woken up from a nap.  “Cassian?  What on earth are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped inside the house and looked down at her, “I turned Ianthe down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked, “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well one she was saying some nasty shit about you and your sisters, and I’m not going to work for someone who’s going to speak ill of my friends.  And two she’s an attention seeker.  I never wanted to work with her in the first place.”  He braced one hand against the wall pinning her there, but also giving her ample room to escape if she didn’t want to be this close to him.  “She seemed to think that you were the reason I was turning her down because you were feeling threatened.  Care to explain why she would think that, sweetheart?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta stared up at him, “She thought I felt threatened by her.  She thought that I thought that the moment you were presented with someone else, someone prettier, someone sexier that you would go running into their arms.  I wasn’t feeling threatened by her, I just wanted to shut her up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian smirked and backed away from Nesta, “As if anyone could be prettier and sexier than you, sweetheart.”  He sauntered into their living room and made himself comfortable on the couch.  “Well just so you’re aware I turned her down.  I was never going to work with her in the first place and I made that very clear today.  She can run her mouth if she wants to, but I don’t need this gig as it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta joined him in the living room and sat on one of the chairs, “Are you sure?  I mean as much as I hate to admit it, Ianthe is pretty popular, especially her clothing line.  It could be good for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian looked over at Nesta and said, “I’m not pressed for clients.  I actually have a list of people who have been wanting to work with me for a while now.  I just wanted to focus on my channel and they respected that.  I’m actually planning on emailing one of them when I get home and telling them that if they need me for anything that I’m willing to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched her fiddle with a ring on her finger for a moment, “I don’t know why she hates my sisters and I so much.  We never did anything to her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ianthe is one of those people that feels threatened by any little thing.  It doesn’t have to do with you or your sisters, but with her own sense of self-worth.  She feels inferior to everyone around her and the only way to make herself feel better is by tearing down her perceived competition.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of Nesta’s eyebrows arched, “And when did you suddenly become a psychologist?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled, “Adeena was a therapist.  She taught me a lot when I was growing up and some of those teachings stuck.”  He felt Nesta watching him and he turned to her, her gaze intense, “What’re you thinking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged, “Nothing special.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian watched her, “Come on, sweetheart.  It’s just you and me, what’s on your mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would she have liked me?”  Her voice was soft as she spoke the words, and they took Cassian by surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adeena?”  She nodded.  “I think she would have loved you, Nesta.  It was rare for Adeena </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>to like someone.  You’d have to do something pretty horrific to get on her bad side.  I think she would have liked all of you.  She would have loved Elain’s softness, her caring for Azriel.  Feyre’s strength and resilience, especially not taking any of Rhys’s shit.  And you, she would have loved your spirit, maybe even shared a book recommendation or two.  She didn’t read a lot, but she held the ones she loved close to her heart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could see her shoulders relax.  The two of them sat there in silence for a moment, he could still tell she needed a moment to process things.  The door opened and Feyre and Elain emerged holding bags of groceries.  “Hey, Cass!”  Feyre said brightly.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Feyre,” he said.  “Hey, El.  Whatcha got in those bags?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dinner,” Elain said.  “You wanna stay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could, but I’ve got some business to attend too,” he told them regretfully.  “Maybe some other time.”  He bent and kissed Nesta’s cheek, “I’ll talk to you later sweetheart.”  He left with a grin on his face knowing she was going to be questioned by her sisters the moment they knew he was gone.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Twenty-Five ~ Feyre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nesta’s birthday was several weeks away and Feyre and Elain were beginning to finalize details.  They were about to meet up with Mor to finalize a few things.  It was going to be an intimate affair, but a party nonetheless.  Mor had been thrilled when they had approached her for party planning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde was currently sitting outside on the patio of a trending cafe on her phone.  She was wearing a stylish red dress that made her look like she was preparing to walk down a runway.  Feyre had learned that More preferred to be picture perfect for all situations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mor!”  Feyre called to get the blonde’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor squealed, “You’re here!”  The two women embraced.  They had grown closer over the weeks since Rhysand had introduced them, and Feyre was forever grateful to have someone who understood her pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor’s story was just as tragic as hers if not more.  Her father had sold her off to marriage to one of his business partners.  When they learned that she was no longer a virgin they had beaten her within an inch of her life.  She still bore the scars of that encounter.  The two of them had held one another as they relived their trauma, thankful for each other, and the comfort they could provide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor hugged Elain next and they all took their seats.  A waiter came over to take their order and once he had disappeared Elain asked, “How’s the planning coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Mor said.  “I already sent the invites to Hunt and Bryce as well as Aelin, Rowan, Dorian, and Danika.  They all said they would be there.  I also ordered Nesta’s favorite wine and food from Rita’s.  All that’s left to do is make sure she’s surprised when the event finally arrives.  I was thinking that Cassian could say something to her about maybe the three of you coming over for dinner and then of course have everyone jump out and yell surprise.  But I wanted to see what you two thought about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre and Elain looked at one another and nodded.  Feyre turned back to Mor, “That works.  Do you want me to let Cassian know the plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I’m going to see him later tonight.  And at least that way Nesta can’t accidentally see the texts or overhear the conversation,” Mor took a sip of her wine.  “Anything specific I should get for her?  I don’t know her that well, but I don’t want to show up empty-handed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A gift card to Velaris Books works, she’ll appreciate it and understand that you all don’t know one another well enough.  She’s not high maintenance,” Elain told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor made a note in her phone, “All right.  Any other specifics that you all want?  Cake flavor?  Design, message, all of that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They showed her a few ideas they had saved of cakes shaped like books and told her that Nesta liked marble cake.  Mor promised that she had the perfect person to make the cake and would show them the pictures.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ate their lunch and continued to discuss their plans for the party before going their separate ways.  Feyre headed back home while Elain headed to the garden shop she frequented.  Today was the day that Feyre finally began filming videos again.  She wasn’t sure when she was going to post them, but she didn’t want to sit around and do nothing and let Tamlin win.  He had been spewing enough hate and lies since her live stream happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Ianthe could go fuck themselves for all she cared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had let him control her for far too long and she wasn’t going to let him take her painting from her again.  It was bad enough that he had affected her painting once before, she wasn’t going to let him do it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made it home and put on her earphones, it was going to be one of the time-lapse videos she did on occasion.  The ones where she didn’t talk, and only showed her progress as she painted.  They weren’t her most popular content, but she wanted to give her viewers something.  They had all been incredibly patient and kind with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned on Earned It by The Weeknd and began working on her painting.  She wasn’t sure exactly what she was painting, she was just letting her emotions carry her through the process.  Hours passed and she finally set her brush down.  Staring at the painting she had just completed and realized that she had drawn Rhysand.  She just kinda stared at it for a moment, it was when he had taken her to see the stars.  He was lying on the ground, his face turned toward her, and he was smiling.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped her camera and wondered if she should post this video or not.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hours later she had the video edited down and in her queue ready to go whenever she was ready to post it.  She grabbed her shoes and keys and headed down to her car, she needed more supplies and needed to get out of the house for a bit.  On her way, Mor called her, “Hey Mor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feyre!”  The cheerful voice of her friend instantly made her smile.  “I just wanted to let you know that all the details for Nesta’s party have been finalized and are ready to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relief surged through Feyre when she heard Mor say this, “Great, thank you so much for doing this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s no problem!  I think she could use a party, I know we all probably could,” Mor said with a soft chuckle.  “So what’re you up to now?  Anything fun and exciting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah,” Feyre said as she turned into the parking lot of Michael’s.  “I’m at Michael’s, I need some supplies, I just finished a video and I’m low on a few things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this the first one you’ve done since the live stream?”  There was a note of hesitation in Mor’s voice as if she weren’t sure she should bring it up or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre sat in her seat for a moment and just stared out the windshield toward the storefront.  The sun was almost completely gone and the sign for Michael’s was glowing dimly in the fading light.  “It is, and you know something?  I didn’t even have a plan for this painting and I painted Rhys.  I didn’t even realize it until after I was all done, but his face was staring back at me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two have become very close over the past several weeks,” Mor pointed out.  “You can practically cut the sexual tension with a knife!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre started laughing, “You can </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes, you can!”  Mor argued back.  “I feel like if the two of you could communicate telepathically you’d be sending dirty thoughts to one another constantly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre and Mor began to laugh harder and Feyre thought about how good it felt to just laugh with a friend.  Something that she hadn’t done in a long while.  Not in this way.  “I really like him,” she admitted once their laughter had settled down some.  “I’m just worried what people will say since this whole Tamlin thing has resurfaced.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck that,” Mor said.  “If you want to go after him then go after him.  You can’t let other people dictate your life, Feyre.  You have to do things for you and only you.  I can tell you that my cousin really likes you and he cares for you a lot.  Don’t let that tool take away your ability to love another person the way you deserve to be loved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor’s words rang through Feyre and she nodded her head, “You’re right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I’m right,” Mor laughed.  “I have experience in this ring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two women chuckled, “Thank you for the words of wisdom, Mor.  I’m glad you came into my life when you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, whenever you need me I’ll be here.  Just remember if my idiot cousin fucks up that I’ll kick his ass for you.  Us girls gotta stick together and just cuz he’s family don’t mean I won’t go to the mat for you,” Mor said, the sincerity in her voice touching the deepest, darkest parts of Feyre’s soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Long after they got off the phone and Feyre was wandering around the craft store feeling in her element the words Mor had spoken were still ringing in her ears.  She had been saying she was done letting Tamlin rule her life and she had meant it.  Her love life was her own and if she wanted to start seeing someone then she could.  It was no one’s business but her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre: </b>
  <span>Can I see you tomorrow night?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys 🦇:  </b>
  <span>Of course, anywhere specific you would like to go?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre:  </b>
  <span>Surprise me</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Rhys 🦇: </b>
  <span> Your wish is my command, Feyre darling.  See you tomorrow night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clothes were strewn all across her bed the following afternoon.  Rhys had texted her earlier and told her to wear something nice and she was having a crisis.  Feyre wasn’t a fancy person.  Her clothes consisted of paint-stained overalls and old jeans, graphic tees, and a few dresses that didn’t feel appropriate.  Elain and Nesta were sitting in chairs beside the bed watching the pile of clothes slowly growing bigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wear one of mom’s dresses,” Nesta finally suggested after what felt like the hundredth piece of clothing hit the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre turned to look at her sister, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sisters had kept all of their mom’s clothes after her passing in case they wanted something when they were older.  They hadn’t touched them though since they had moved to LA.  None of them ever felt right pulling the clothing out of the trunks they had them stored in.  They had this unspoken rule that they wouldn’t touch them unless it was an emergency.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wear one of mom’s dresses,” Nesta said again.  “She had beautiful ones and at this point, they deserve a night out.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre plopped down onto the floor and crossed her legs, “I thought we all sorta agreed not to touch them, that they were too precious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain jumped in at this point, “They deserve to be worn and I think Mom would be happy to know that we’re using the things she left behind for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta stood and motioned for her sisters to follow her.  “Come on, we’re not going to debate this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made their way into the attic and moved toward the back where the trunks were.  They began to go through them until Elain made an excited noise and showed Feyre a simple black dress from the fifties, the straps tied to form little bows.  “It’s perfect and simple and I know you have the perfect pair of heels to go with it too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre felt the smooth material and smiled, her sister promising to do her hair and makeup for her.  The three of them got to work to be ready in time for Rhysand to show up.  Elain made sure Feyre’s makeup was more natural than striking to fit the simplicity of the dress.  Nesta curled Feyre’s hair and pinned it back with a few clips that weren’t flashy or would stand out in Feyre’s hair.  Once it was done Feyre put on her mother’s pearls and an onyx ring that she had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not ten minutes after the sisters had finished the doorbell rang and Elain clapped, “He’s here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta playfully shoved her younger sister, “Go get him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre gave her sisters a nervous smile but headed down to greet Rhys.  When she opened the door she could almost see the breath leave Rhysand.  He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening, and he seemed to be at a loss for words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in a simple suit, a black tie neatly hanging from his neck.  “Feyre, you look… stunning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt her cheeks heat from the compliment, “You clean up well yourself, Knight.  Are you gonna tell me where we’re going or are you going to leave me in suspense?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snapped out of whatever trance she seemed to have him under and he gave her a sly look, “I think I’ll leave you in suspense a little while longer, Feyre darling.  You did say to surprise you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hummed, “All right, keep your secrets, but it better be good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she looped her arm through his he leaned in and whispered, “I’ll make it worth your while, I swear.”  And then they made it to his car and he helped tuck her safely inside before he got in his side and set off for their mysterious location.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before they were out of view of her home she saw her sisters standing in front of the window, Elain gave her a thumbs up and Nesta just nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could do this.  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry I haven't updated in a bit.  This month has been hectic and with this writing challenge I'm doing in one of my other fandoms it's been consuming a lot of my time, but I only have a few more days left it in and then hopefully I'll have more time to devote to this story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Feyre had opened the door Rhys didn’t think he was gonna be able to think straight for the rest of the night.  He was pretty sure he was looking at her like she had hung the stars in the sky.  To him though she had.  Having Feyre in his life was a blessing and she had made his life a little more colorful since she had waltzed into it.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes he couldn’t believe that he was actually friends with her.  That the YouTuber he had admired for her art for a while now actually considered him a friend and had painted him.  It still seemed a little like a fairytale to him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now she was sitting beside him in his car as he took her to one of his favorite restaurants in the city.  She was looking out the window watching the city go by them and he was just enjoying being in her presence.  Their silences never felt awkward or uncomfortable.  They were just enjoying being in one another’s presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twenty minutes later they arrived at a building with a long line out front.  Rhysand had brought Feyre to Five Roses, a new restaurant that had been garnering a lot of attention.  He knew some people that secured him a last-minute reservation and allowed them to bypass the line of people hoping to be able to just sit at the bar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre didn’t question it as they were led through the sea of tables to one on near the windows.  They were high enough up that they had a perfect view of LA sprawled out before them.  Feyre’s gaze was on the city, but Rhysand’s was on her.  He wondered what her painter’s eyes were seeing as she gazed out the window.  Was she seeing a new painting take shape in her mind, was she thinking about the colors of the sky as the sun began to set?  He wished he could see how she saw the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think?”  He asked when he finally found his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned her attention to him, a hint of a smile on her face, “It’s gorgeous and completely unexpected.  Out of every place I imagined I didn’t think I’d be coming here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled, “I wanted to do something nice for you.  Coming here was my way of treating you to a nice night out.  Something I think you deserve.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I decided something,” she said, twirling the dark red wine around in her glass.  “Yesterday after I painted a picture for a video.  I decided that Tamlin and Ianthe were not going to control my life anymore.”  She didn’t break eye contact with him and he felt his heart begin to beat erratically in his chest.  “Rhys, I--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rhys!”  Feyre was cut off by a familiar voice.  Rhysand turned to see Ruhn coming their way.  His hair was longer than when he had last seen him and one side of his head was shaved.  “What’re you doing here?”  Rhysand stood and embraced Ruhn the two men patting each other on their backs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhysand gestured to Feyre and said, “I brought a friend with me.  Feyre this is Ruhn, Ruhn this is Feyre.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre stood and shook Ruhn’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you, Feyre.  I’m Ruhn Danaan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Feyre Acheron,” her eyes darted to Rhysand and he gave her an apologetic look.  He knew Ruhn owned Five Roses, but he hadn’t expected him to actually be here.  From what Rhysand had heard Ruhn had a new girlfriend.  Then Feyre looked back at Ruhn and cocked her head to the side, “Wait, aren’t you Bryce Quinlan’s brother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!  You know her?”  His face lit up at the sound of his sister’s name.  Rhysand had thought Bryce’s name sounded familiar the night he had met her after one of Azriel’s fights.  She was Ruhn’s half sister, but he hadn’t had the chance to meet her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre nodded and they resumed their seared positions with Ruhn dragging a chair over to join them for a few moments, “She’s one of mine and my sisters’ friends.  We met her when we first moved out here.  She was a real lifesaver.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like Bryce, have you met Danika yet?  Those two are practically attached at the hip and have been for ages.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre nodded, “She’s a force to be reckoned with that’s for sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They chatted for a few minutes before Ruhn excused himself, but promised them that their meal was on the house.  He hooked a finger toward Rhysand and said, “I don’t think this poor bastard could afford my prices.”  He winked at Feyre and sauntered off to do whatever it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre was grinning after Ruhn and shook her head, “I can see the family resemblance.”  Her attention turned back to Rhysand and he found himself relaxing when he saw her smile.  It had been a while since he saw her be this carefree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What were you going to tell me before Ruhn so rudely interrupted us?”  He hadn’t forgotten that she had been cut off and wondered what it was that she had wanted to say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile turned coy and he felt his stomach begin to fill with butterflies, “It was nothing important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their food arrived a few moments later and he briefly forgot about trying to get the truth out of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After dinner, they walked around, not ready to head back home yet.  As they walked their hands brushed against one another causing Rhysand to shiver.  He debated linking their hands, it was such a small gesture but it felt like a huge leap.  He was just about to go for it when he felt her link their fingers together and he smiled.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you still haven’t told me what you were going to say,” he said, turning his head to glance at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She chuckled, “And maybe I never will if you keep bugging me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gasped in mock shock, “Keeping secrets from me, Feyre darling?  I thought we were close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh we are, but I don’t know if you’re ready to know this bit of information,” she and Rhysand came to a stop at a crosswalk.  They were heading back to the parking garage to get in his car so he could take her home.  “I think I need to hold onto it for a bit longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clucked his tongue, “The audacity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made her laugh and a couple of people glanced at them, smiling at the young couple.  “Behave and I just might tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pouted but didn’t say anything else, his mind whirling with the possibilities of what she could have to say.  On the drive home she distracted him with other topics and conversations.  Trying to keep his mind off whatever secret she was holding close to her chest but didn’t forget.  He remembered everything she said to him, storing it away for a day when he wanted to smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they made it to her house he noticed that her sisters were surprisingly missing.  Though he supposed that they could be with his brothers.  He walked her to her door and she said, “Thank you for tonight, I had a wonderful time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did I,” he said as he leaned against the door frame.  “We should do it more often.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should,” she agreed.  When she stepped closer to him he felt his breath hitch and she squeezed his hand, “About what I was gonna tell you earlier…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was rising up on her toes and Rhysand could have sworn his heart stopped.  “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you, Rhys,” she whispered, her lips so close to his that he felt her breath fanning across his face.  He could smell the wine from dinner.  “As more than a friend.”  Her arms wound their way around his neck and his automatically went around her waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He must be having a dream because there was no way this was happening.  “I like you too, Feyre.  I have for a while now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her nose brushed against his and his body began to warm, this was really happening.  “Come inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t need to be asked twice.  He let her lead him inside and to the very room he had held her in the day after everything with Tamlin had gone down.  They stood there now in the dim light of her room both nervous and excited at the same time.  Rhysand waited for her to tell him what to do, to give him permission to touch her.  She had been through so much and she was going to be in charge of what happened there tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly her hands came up to the straps of her dress and she pushed them off her shoulders.  She took Rhysand’s hand and moved it to the zipper and getting the hint he gently pulled it down until the dress was falling off her and pooling at her feet.  All that was left was the lacy black lingerie that she had decided to wear and Rhysand swallowed thickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing was said as Feyre’s hands went to the buttons of his shirt, her eyes flicking to his seeing if she could continue, and with a slight nod of his head the first button popped open.  One by one the buttons began to open and revealed more of his chest and abdomen to her.  Revealing the tattoos he had.  Her fingers gently traced them and Rhysand shivered under her touch.  The things she did to him, the things he wanted to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But tonight wasn’t about him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was about her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re in charge, Feyre darling,” he whispered, his voice rough with want.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed him down onto the bed so that he was in a seated position and straddled his hips, “Tell me what you want.”  Her eyes met his and he saw a blush beginning to stain her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned forward and kissed both of them, his hands trailed down her back and he could feel the goosebumps forming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre ran her fingers through his hair and his eyes fluttered shut as her nails lightly scratched his scalp.  “I want to make you feel good,” he said before trailing his lips along her neck and kissing her collarbone.  “I just want you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have me, Rhys,” she said, her arms wrapping around his neck.  “I’m yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then that their lips met in a heated kiss.  All the weeks of pent up feelings finally being released and Rhysand could have sworn he poured everything he had ever felt for her into that single kiss.  It was the kiss that sparked them to lose the rest of their clothes and tangle in her sheets together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later sometime after they had finished and he had fallen asleep he woke to her side of the bed cold.  The house was quiet and when he peeked his head into the hall he noticed that neither one of her sisters were back from wherever they had gone.  That was when he heard the faint sounds of music coming from Feyre’s studio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed it and found her sitting on a stool wearing nothing but his shirt - which did things to him.  She looked up when she heard him enter, her hair mussed from sleep and their earlier activities.  And she smiled at him, “Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he came around and saw that she was working on one of him still asleep in her bed, a sheet covering his more private parts.  Moonbeams illuminating him.  “It’s beautiful Feyre.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”  She looked up at him, a little insecure, but it was disappearing with his comment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kissed her nose, “Yes.”  He pulled her up and grinned down at her, one of his eyebrows arching.  “I like you in my clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hummed, “I figured you might.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come back to bed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she surprised him by saying, “I have a better idea,” and then pushing him against the wall and trailing kisses down his body and causing him to suck in a breath and squeeze his eyes shut.  He wondered where Feyre had been all his life and was thankful she had entered it.  He prayed that night as they curled up together that they could remain this happy for the rest of their lives, and he silently promised to never hurt her as long as he lived.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Two down, one to go ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Twenty-Seven ~ Elain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Once Feyre was gone and out of sight the sisters immediately went to work.  They knew that tonight could end several different ways.  Feyre could come home with Rhysand and decide to spend the night with him wholesomely, he could drop her off and leave her alone, or the night could end on a rather sinful note.  If Rhysand didn’t spend the night then they would come home, but if Rhysand stayed over they didn’t want to be around for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain had already let Azriel know she was coming and what the 411 was on Feyre and Rhysand.  The boys had been waiting for this moment just as Elain and Nesta had.  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel🌵:</b>
  <span> Come on over, you know you’re welcome anytime.  Cass is excited to see Nesta, but don’t tell him I told you</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain:  </b>
  <span>Wouldn’t dream of it.  Can’t have you hurt before your next fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was one more fight that would tell him if he was going to the final one and the news was already buzzing with the possibilities of Azriel as the next champion.  She was rooting for him, hoping that he won, but only time would tell if he came out on top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sisters threw their overnight bags in the car and headed to Azriel and Cassian’s home.  The front door was already open when they pulled in and Azriel and Cass were sitting on the front porch waiting for them.  Elain practically ran to Azriel and he caught her in his arms and kissed him.  She heard Cassian and Nesta exchange hellos and Azriel gently set her down.  “Hello El,” he whispered against her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi Az,” she whispered back, grinning at him like a fool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um yeah can I please say hello to Ellie,” they heard Cassian say.  “Stop hogging her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain giggled as Azriel shot his brother a glare, “She’s my girlfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassian practically dragged Elain over to him and gave her a big, bear hug.  She laughed and squeezed Cassian back.  “Hello Cass,” she said as he released her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ellie,” he ruffled her hair and she swatted his hand away.  “There, you can have her back now,” Cassian grinned at Azriel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain felt Azriel’s hand slip into hers and the four of them slipped inside.  They talked for a little bit about random things.  Cassian was asking when he was going to be allowed back over to do more videos with Nesta while Nesta asked if he was ever going to show her any of his photography.  That prompted him to get his photo album and show the sisters.  Elain and Nesta cooed over the photos, complementing Cassian on his eye and creative shots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a gleam in Cassian’s eye as he noted which ones Nesta liked the most and when he caught Elain looking he winked at her.  She narrowed her eyes, but kept her mouth shut.  Azriel noticed too and squeezed her hand.  They got up, Nesta not even noticing as her sister and Azriel moved into the backyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think those two are ever going to get together?”  Elain asked Azriel as they settled into one of the lounge chairs together, Elain curled up next to Azriel.  “Feyre and I think they’re perfect for one another.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhysand and Azriel had similar conversations in the past about Nesta and their brother.  “Rhys and I agree, but I think the two of them are going to need time to finally reach that next level.”  Azriel held her a bit tighter, “It’d be something if all three of us wound up together, almost like fate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That caused Elain to smile, “I was thinking the same thing.”  It was almost serendipitous that they had all met and now with Rhysand and Feyre getting together.  Nesta and Cassian were going to be the last two that were to get together.  Knowing her oldest sister it was going to take a little longer and a push to get her and Cassian together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think that tonight’s the night that Feyre and Rhys are going to make things official?”  Azriel wanted to see his brother happy, but he wasn’t sure if Rhys would push Feyre into a relationship, not after everything she had been through with Tamlin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Elain told him.  “She’s ready and she really cares about Rhys, more than she has for anyone since she broke it off with Tamlin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna lie after hearing what that asshole did to her I wanted to fight him,” Azriel confessed to her.  “He deserves that and so much more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain was in agreement with him, she had never felt quite as murderous as she did when she saw what he had done to her sister.  The normally quiet Elain had wanted to throw Tamlin out the window.  “It took us a long time to get her back to a good place.  Her painting suffered and she was constantly crying.  Seeing her with Rhys is such a stark contrast to when she was with Tamlin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them fell silent as they continued to lay out under the night sky, content with each other.  Azriel was also a stark contrast to her relationship with Graysen.  She felt like Azriel actually cared about her and she trusted that he wouldn’t leave her for another person.  There was still some former doubt that would creep in, but she pushed through it and told herself that Azriel was nothing like Graysen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon Cassian and Nesta joined them with a round of drinks and they all began talking and placing bets on if they were going to find out the following morning that Rhysand and Feyre were now officially together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elain pursued the garden tools at the local nursery and wondering if she should get anything.  She had come in to get the flowers for Nesta’s birthday ordered and ready to go.  Mor had left her in charge of that since she knew plants better than most.  Azriel had offered to come along with her, but she had wanted to go alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was whispering at the end of the aisle, but Elain paid no attention to it.  She never paid attention to conversations around her, but this one caught her attention when she heard her name come out of one of the women’s mouths.  She tried to act like she hadn’t heard or had been paying attention when she heard, “I think she and Azriel are dating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously,” the second woman whispered - albeit not very well.  “He could do so much better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain gripped the handle of the trowel.  She knew this day would come, and that Azriel’s fans would have something to say about their relationship.  She had already gone through this with Lucien when everyone thought that they were together after she attended his first blockbuster movie premiere.  The red carpet had been shouting at the two of them asking them about the nature of their relationship.  Lucien had handled it and said that Elain was just a dear friend, but that hadn’t stopped the rumor mill from going crazy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People had found her Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube page and flooded her comments with questions.  She and Lucien had ignored it until a group of girls came up to her in the grocery store and began demanding that she dump Lucien.  They had both gone on record and said that they were just very close friends and that there were no romantic attachments at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was different though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a romantic attachment with Azriel.  She was falling head over heels in love with him and she was going to have all his fans coming for her.  She was going to have to deal with the hate and criticism all over again, but this time it would be worse.  There was a tightness in her chest that was growing larger by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Putting down the trowel she turned and wandered out of the store, the clerk behind the counter telling her that he hoped she had a good day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, she went to the closest park and just sat on a bench.  Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she found herself having trouble breathing.  Oh God, what had she been thinking?  She wasn’t strong like her sisters.  Nesta and Feyre wouldn’t let those comments get to them.  But Elain… they got to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feyre🎨:  </b>
  <span>Hey where are you?  It’s your turn to edit the Sunday video.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Elain:  </b>
  <span>Be home in a little bit, had to do that thing for you know who’s you know what.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre merely sent a thumbs up back.  Elain closed out of the messages and got up to go back home to get the editing done for the video.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nesta knocked on Elain’s door, “All right, what’s up with you?  You’ve been pouty since yesterday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yesterday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain didn’t want to think about yesterday and what had happened at the nursery.  “Nothing’s up with me,” Elain said as she typed away on her computer.  She was writing up a few things that she wanted to accomplish in the next week.  She had turned her phone off and was ignoring the messages that came through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta, however, was not buying what her sister was selling.  She had a way of seeing through the bullshit, “Nope, not buying it.  Tell me what happened?  Was it Az?”  Her fingers paused over the keys.  “Oh my God, if he hurt you I swear to God--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Az didn’t hurt me!”  Elain said in frustration.  “He’s the sweetest person on the planet, and he actually respects me.”  She leaned her head back and let out a sigh, her sister wasn’t going to leave her alone.  “I was at the nursery and I heard some girls talking about me.  There are apparently rumors going around about Az and I dating.  Which would be true, but we haven’t exactly announced anything.  I always cut out parts of the videos where Az and I get a little too familiar with one another and he does the same.  If you haven’t noticed Az is very private about things.  The girls, however, think something is up because God forbid that a man and a woman are friends without there being anything else involved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta sat on the edge of Elain’s bed and frowned, “What did they say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That I wasn’t pretty enough to be with Az.  And before you say it, I know their opinion doesn’t matter.  But I remember what this was like when I went with Lucien to the premiere and everyone thought we were together.  I just don’t know if I can go through that again.  I’m not tough like you and Feyre are.  Unlike me, Feyre seems to have everyone’s support.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not true,” Feyre said from the doorway.  Her arms were folded across her chest and she was shifting her weight from foot to foot.  “I’ve gotten messages and comments from people calling me a slut or a whore because they think that Rhys and I are dating.  That was before we even became official.  I block some of them, but everyone’s going to have an opinion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feyre’s right,” Nesta said.  “Ever since we started interacting with the Knight brothers we’ve been bombarded with either loving comments or hate.  It’s no different than usual.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain had to disagree, “I sometimes miss the days when no one knew who we were.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre came over and wrapped her arms around Elain, “So do I, but look at where it's gotten us.  We’re all doing what we love and we’ve met the most amazing men and people because of it.  I know it’s not always a bed of roses, but that’s life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister had a point.  Feyre striking again with the best advice.  “I can’t believe I just got schooled by my younger sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre planted a kiss on Elain’s cheek, “Now message Az and tell him what’s going on.  Rhys says the poor man is going crazy wondering what’s going on.  I’m pretty sure he’s ready to come over here and make sure you haven’t died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nesta and Feyre slowly filed out of the room and Elain took a deep breath before turning her phone on to message Azriel back.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry this has taken so long!  I've been working on so much stuff lately.  I hope you enjoy, and I started a Pinterest.  If you want to check it out then my user is batboyaz!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Twenty-Eight ~ Azriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He was going insane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t heard from Elain in a while and normally he prided himself in not being clingy, but she had missed their nightly call and there had been no good morning text waiting for him.  He had fucked something up.  He had messed up something.  What he had done though was beyond him.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor:  </b>
  <span>Calm down Az, I’m sure it’s nothing major.  If you keep pacing you’ll wear a hole in the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel:  </b>
  <span>How the hell do you know I’m pacing?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor:  </b>
  <span>Rhys sent me a message that said you were pacing and he didn’t know why.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mor:  </b>
  <span>Stop overthinking things.  She may just need some space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, people needed space sometimes.  He certainly needed space when life got to be too much.  When there were too many comments and people prying into his personal life, he just wanted to get away from it all. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Azriel: </b>
  <span>Wait how do you know I’m worried about Elain?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His phone began to ring and he saw Mor’s name appear.  “Because I know you,” she said when he answered the phone.  “And I know how you get.  You start to self-conscious and panic.  I know you care about Elain and I know you’re going to get worked up if you let yourself think about the smallest things too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel chuckled, leave it to Mor to read him like a book.  “Glad I’m so easy for you to read,” he said.  “And you know I’m working on my insecurities.  I know Elain and I won’t talk every day, but I’m just afraid maybe she’ll realize that I’m not good enough or she’ll get tired of the MMA fighting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t she say she thought it was sexy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Azriel said slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Mor responded.  “That girl is clearly smitten with you and I bet ten bucks that when she messages you it will all be fine and nothing about something that you had done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re probably right, I’m just overreacting for nothing,” he flopped back on his bed.  “We’re doing great.”  He hesitated and then said, “I think I’m falling in love with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor began to squeal and he had to hold the phone away from his ear.  “THAT’S AMAZING, AZ.  OH MY GOD YOU’RE IN LOVE!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!  Whoa!  I said I thought I was falling in love with her,” Azriel said.  “But this is the first time I’ve ever been this serious with someone, and I don’t know I just don’t want to think about a life without her in it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mor sighed dreamily, “That’s so great, Az.  I’m happy for you.  Lord knows that you need someone good for you in your life and Elain is perfect for you.”  She started cursing, “Shit sorry, I have an appointment.  Don’t overthink things too much, I love you!  Bye!”  And then she was gone leaving Azriel to think.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a few hours later when his phone rang again.  This time he saw Elain’s name appear on the screen.  He answered it immediately.  “Elain,” he practically sighed her name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she sounded nervous and his anxiety immediately skyrocketed.  “Can I come over?  We need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His anxiety was going into overtime now, “Elain, if you’re going to break up with me I’d rather you do it right now.  My anxiety is up already and I don’t think I can take the suspense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no!  Az, I’m not breaking up with you,” she quickly rectified.  “It’s just something happened the other day that we need to discuss and I’d really rather be around you than doing it over the phone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart stopped racing in his chest, “How about I come over?  I’ll bring something to eat and we can sit in your garden.”  She agreed and Azriel went to tell his brothers that he would be over at Elain’s for a little while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he arrived Feyre greeted him, her smile didn’t reach her eyes, “She’s waiting for you in the garden.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he murmured before making his way through the house and into the backyard.  Elain was there and sitting at the little table, a pitcher of lemonade already on the table.  She looked up when she heard him approach and he bent to kiss her cheek.  “Hey, I brought some Chinese food, you get the first pick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elain began unpacking the bag and going through what Azriel had brought.  He watched her as she methodically began scooping the food onto her plate, “I can feel you staring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just trying to figure out what’s wrong,” Az responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed the containers over to him and said, “It’s about a few of your fans.”  He paused and stared at her, what about his fans?  “I went to the gardening store the other day and at the end of the aisle, there were a couple of girls.  I happened to overhear - although I suspect they weren’t trying to hide what they were saying about me.  I overheard them saying that you could do so much better than me.  I’ve had comments too, but I ignore those I get hate comments and messages all the time.”  She ran a hand through her hair, and he could see some tears in her eyes.  “I went through this with Lucien, and we weren’t even dating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel got out of his seat and knelt in front of Elain, his hands taking hers, “El, listen to me they couldn’t be farther from the truth.  You and I were meant for one another, okay.  We were brought together and you make me laugh and smile.”  His hand came up to cup her cheek and stroke it with his thumb.  “All of us knew going into this that the fans might not be happy about it and they may make comments about our relationship status, but what they think doesn’t matter.  I don’t care if people know that I’m seeing you, and I don’t care if they think you’re all wrong for me because they don’t know me and they don’t know you.  They’re just jealous that they aren’t you right now and they’re hoping to intimidate you away from me which I would never let happen.  I will remind you every single day that you are beautiful and my favorite person in the entire world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let out a little laugh at his speech, “You really know how to talk a girl down, Az.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled and stood to kiss her forehead, “I will always be here to remind you just how special you are to me, Elain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel and Elain proceeded to enjoy their lunch together after that.  However, Azriel couldn’t get his mind off of what his fans had done.  Of course, he had known that that was going to be a possibility, he had known they wouldn’t be happy with him and Elain being together.  He just hated that they had to be this way and couldn’t let him be happy.  And knowing that Elain had been through this once before also broke his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She asked if he wanted to stay over, but he explained that he had to train in the morning and didn’t have his things with him, but they would reschedule for another day.  He gave her a lingering kiss and then said his goodbye to her sisters as he made his way toward the door.  There was a moment where he hesitated leaving.  After what had happened he didn’t feel right, but he had training in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to think of a way to make this up to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Azriel stepped into the GameStop after training, Chaol saying his greetings.  “How are you and that girl doing?  What was her name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elain,” Azriel said as he laid the latest re-release of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Prince of Persia </span>
  </em>
  <span>on the counter.  “We’re good, she’s enjoying all those games you recommended to her.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Animal Crossing </span>
  </em>
  <span>is her favorite along with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mario Kart.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”  Although he didn’t tell Chaol why exactly the game had become her favorite.  Let’s just say strip </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mario Kart </span>
  </em>
  <span>had become a regular occurrence with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should bring her by again so I can recommend more games to her.  Maybe we can get her to buy a system,” Chaol said with a smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel chuckled, he could already imagine what Elain’s gamer setup would look like.  “I’ll let you know, thanks Chaol,” he threw up his hand as he headed out the door and headed back to his car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he was in the car he called Feyre, “Hey Az, what’s up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know Nesta has her birthday coming up, and I have my fight, but I want to do something for Elain,” he said.  “I’m guessing she told you about those fans the other day?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she did,” Feyre’s voice was laced with frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel had figured, he knew the sisters were close and of course, she would go to them with it.  “I want to do something special for her, make her feel better.  And I want it to be a surprise.  I hate that my fans made her feel that way and I just want her to know how special she is to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feyre sighed dreamily at that, “Don’t tell Rhys, but you are the best brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azriel chuckled, “Your secret is safe with me, Feyre.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nesta and I can help you, we can take her out for a spa day and you can set up a nice dinner for her in the backyard, which Nesta and I can be scarce for the evening.”  Nesta hollered for Feyre and she said, “I gotta go, but let me know what day and we’ll set it up.  Sometime after Nesta’s birthday and before your match.  Sound good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds great, Feyre,” they hung up and Azriel began planning what he was going to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm debating Az telling Rhys what Feyre said just to see his reaction asdfghjkl.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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